We can talk all day about different bulb types, etc. but as previously mentioned it comes down to the color temp anyway. It also comes down the CRI value at that color temp.
I think, if it all possible or within budget, you should have decent lighting in your shop. 5500-6500 k is ideal they say, as it's closest to natural sunlight. You start with matching the temp to daylight then you try to get a high CRI. I read somewhere that-
"An ideal light source for color rendering will have both a color temperature similar to daylight and a high CRI value."
We have Triten 50 "full spectrum" bulbs @ 5000k, 85cri and boy howdy are they the nicest fluorsecents I've ever worked under. Quiet, instant-on, very "neutral" feeling in color yet very bright and no noticeable flicker- you can work under them for hours on end. The 96" bulbs cost around $13/pc. The electronic ballasts that fire the T8 buls are the most expensive part but they keep the flicker and hum to a minimum as a bonus. I like these things so much I might pull the ballasts out and re-install them in my new shop.
So, I use our shop lights for swatch checks since it's consistent and the color seems quite "accurate" compared to daily life conditions to me. You also get about the same lighting from one end to the other. So if I mix at one end we're not a world apart when someone checks it at the back of the dryer.
Cool White Erin? Really?! Those bulbs are the worst to me, they seem to throw color so far off. But, I'll bet that's the most common bulb in print shops.
