In computer graphics, spectral rendering is a technique in which a scene's light transport is modeled with real wavelengths.
Spectral rendering is often used in ray tracing or photon mapping to more accurately simulate the scene, often for comparison with an actual photograph to test the rendering algorithm (as in a Cornell Box) or to simulate different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum for the purpose of scientific work.
Spectral rendering can also simulate light sources and objects more effectively, as the light's emission spectrum can be used to release photons at a particular wavelength in proportion to the spectrum.
As an example, certain properties of tomatoes make them appear differently under sunlight than under fluorescent light.
Using the blackbody radiation equations to simulate sunlight or the emission spectrum of a fluorescent bulb in combination with the tomato's spectral reflectance curve, more accurate images of each scenario can be produced.