Delta E Calculator (CIEDE2000)
A ΔE00 below 1 is barely perceptible, 1–2 shows on close side-by-side inspection, 2–3.5 is a common commercial print acceptance band, and above 5 is clearly different. Enter two Lab values or color codes to compute CIEDE2000; agree the working tolerance with your printer.
Updated 2026-08-12 · Method version v1.0.0
How to Use
- In Color A, pick the HEX code or Lab tab, then paste a hex value or enter L, a and b
- Repeat the same steps in Color B with the second color you want to compare
- Once both colors are filled in, Result shows the Color difference (ΔE00) value instantly
- Check the band label under the number to see which acceptance range it falls into
Method & Assumptions
The proof comes back and the client says it looks a bit off. That argument never ends while it runs on adjectives; it ends with a number. Delta E is that number: a single value quantifying the difference between two colors, larger meaning further apart.
This calculator uses CIEDE2000 (ΔE00), the CIE's current recommendation. It corrects the blue-region, low-chroma and lightness-perception biases of the older CIE76 and CIE94 formulas, and it is the prevailing acceptance standard in print, coatings and textiles; press process-control standards such as ISO 12647-2 likewise manage color through difference tolerances.
Correctness is verified against the academic reference set: the Sharma, Wu and Dalal (2005) CIEDE2000 test vectors, compared pair by pair in unit tests that run in our build. The formula has several branch conditions that are easy to get wrong, and unverified implementations are not rare.
There are two input paths: enter Lab directly, or enter HEX/RGB and let the tool convert via sRGB (D65) → XYZ → Lab. Spectrophotometer readings entered as Lab are closest to reality; values derived from screen colors are digital reference only, since print measurement commonly uses D50/2° and differs systematically from sRGB's D65.
Interpretation bands are a starting point, not a verdict. Large solids are more sensitive than small patches, side-by-side comparison is stricter than separated viewing, and substrate, illuminant and brand policy all move the acceptable number; the same ΔE00 of 3 can pass unnoticed on a business card and stand out across a wall of signage.
The working process is usually this: at proofing stage, brand and printer agree the acceptance number on physical samples and write it into the contract or spec, then production is spot-checked under the same measurement conditions. Before any dispute over numbers, confirm three things: same instrument, same illuminant, same measurement location. Without those, the two ΔE values have no common basis.
Use Cases
- Proof acceptance: prepress compares the spectrophotometer Lab of the proof against the reference Lab; ΔE00 lands inside the agreed band and the sheet is signed off
- Batch audits: three production lots of the same package each get measured, drift is tracked over time, and ink is adjusted when the agreed tolerance is exceeded
- Substitute colors: when the brand color will not print, three candidates are each scored by ΔE00 against the original, and the perceptually closest goes to proofing
- Paper change: the same file moves from coated art paper to uncoated woodfree stock; both proofs are measured and the client decides on numbers, not impressions
- Screen-pick sanity check: two grays that look identical on screen turn out to be genuinely different values in the file, confirmed by their ΔE00
- Before outsourcing overseas, the PM writes the Taiwan proof's Lab values and an agreed ΔE00 tolerance into an English spec sheet so the partner plant checks against the same numbers
FAQ
- ΔE76 vs ΔE2000, which should I use?
- ΔE76 is the straight-line distance in Lab space: simple, but it disagrees with human perception, especially in blues and grays. ΔE2000 adds perceptual weighting for lightness, chroma and hue and is today's acceptance standard. Use ΔE00 unless a legacy spec says otherwise.
- What ΔE tolerance should a print contract specify?
- Common starting points: general commercial work ΔE00 ≤ 3.5, brand colors ≤ 2, strict packaging ≤ 1.5. Substrate, illuminant and viewing context all move the number, so the right approach is to agree it on physical proofs and write it into the contract.
- Do illuminant and instrument affect ΔE?
- Yes. Lab values depend on measurement conditions (print commonly uses D50/2°), and metamerism means a pair can differ more under one light than another. When comparing across vendors, keep instrument, illuminant and measurement location identical, or the numbers mean nothing.
- Is ΔE from screen-picked colors reliable?
- Digital reference only. An uncalibrated display already skews the RGB you pick, and errors stack up through each conversion. For real acceptance work, measure physical samples with a spectrophotometer and enter the Lab values directly.
- Does ΔE of 0 mean two colors are truly identical?
- Only that their Lab values match under one measurement condition. Metamerism means two objects can measure the same under one illuminant and visibly differ under another, and a zero computed from screen color codes is merely mathematical equality. Cross-material, cross-light sameness needs checking under several illuminants.
- Is a tighter tolerance always better? Is demanding ΔE below 1 reasonable?
- Not necessarily. ΔE00 below 1 sits near the limit of what eyes can distinguish, and most production conditions cannot hold it on every sheet; an over-tight spec mostly raises quotes and dispute frequency. Grade by use instead: strict for key brand colors, looser for general imagery, with the number agreed on proofs.
Limitations & Disclaimer
- Interpretation bands are generic starting points, not absolute acceptance criteria for any industry
- Lab derived from HEX/RGB assumes sRGB/D65 and differs systematically from D50 spectrophotometer readings
- Metamerism: two colors close under one illuminant may differ clearly under another
- Formal acceptance requires physical samples under agreed measurement conditions
Need a Professional Check
What the tools give you is a digital reference. Before a production run, having an industry consultant review your proofs, specs and files costs far less than reprinting a bad batch
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