How do you control full RGB lighting?

RGB stands for ‘red, green, blue’. From these three colours, the RGB model is able to mix each to create millions of individual hues. A simple RGB LED (light-emitting diode) is a small device that emits light. It contains three individual LEDs: one red, one green, one blue. These colours will be dimmed or brightened to create the exact colour that the user has chosen.

But one LED is not usually enough. Hundreds or thousands of LEDs can be joined together in strips. These strips can then be placed around the home as main light sources, as complementary light sources, or simply to enhance certain features or pieces of furniture. To get scientific, each individual LED can create over 16 million different shades by mixing together its three colours. That’s a lot of possibilities.

So, which colours should you use? And how can you begin to narrow down where to use RGB lighting? The easy answer is that it can be used almost anywhere around the home. In fact, there are many scientifically proven benefits of using certain colours:

• Shades of blue can be used to improve focus and efficiency, perfect for home offices.
• Although you may think the opposite, red can actually relax us and is great in bedrooms.
• Yellow light can increase happiness. Consider this when practising yoga at home.
• To increase relaxation and promote soothing feelings, use green.
• Purple can give a room a luxurious feel and is a good choice in almost any room.
• For movie lovers, very soft blue can be used around screens to aid focus on the screen.

Many LED systems will come with pre-set colours for you to choose from. However, you will want to spend some trial-and-error time finding your perfect shades; lighting can transform your home.

When it comes to managing your RGB lighting, there are several choices. For simple arrangements and individual strips, it may be easiest to manage everything from an app on your personal device. This could be the simplest solution if you are just using one strip as a screen backlight, for example. However, it’ll be harder to scale and synchronise multiple strips if you choose to add them in future.

For those of you who want to go a step further, there is a whole world of home automation possible. Touch pads can control your entire home at once, or individual rooms at a time. Simply select a colour, or cycle through in a mini light show. If that’s not automated enough for you, then lighting keypads may be your best bet.

Lighting keypads such as Lutron’s SeeTouch, Palladiom, and Alisse can be installed in your home and pre-set to your exact requirements. Simply press a button to choose your mood lighting. Install a keypad in your bedroom, for example, and you’ll be able to select relaxed, romantic, or focussed lighting moods. For those of you with home cinemas, program your keypad for pre-show, in-movie, and post-film light levels. The added benefit of perfect lighting will turn your home into a perfect venue for any occasion.

With over 16 million choices, RGB lighting can fit any mood. Choose your favourite colours, add a touch of automation, and your home will be ready for anything. Ask the experts at SONA today about transforming your lighting setup.