Delta E Calculator Lab

Delta E Formula:

\[ \Delta E = \sqrt{(L_2 - L_1)^2 + (a_2 - a_1)^2 + (b_2 - b_1)^2} \]

L1 (Lightness):

a1 (Red-Green):

b1 (Yellow-Blue):

L2 (Lightness):

a2 (Red-Green):

b2 (Yellow-Blue):

Delta E Result:

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1. What is Delta E?

Delta E (ΔE) is a metric used to quantify the difference between two colors in the Lab color space. It represents the Euclidean distance between two color points, providing a single numerical value that indicates the perceived color difference.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Delta E formula:

\[ \Delta E = \sqrt{(L_2 - L_1)^2 + (a_2 - a_1)^2 + (b_2 - b_1)^2} \]

Where:

\( L_1, L_2 \) — Lightness values (0-100)
\( a_1, a_2 \) — Red-green coordinates (-128 to +127)
\( b_1, b_2 \) — Yellow-blue coordinates (-128 to +127)

Explanation: The formula calculates the straight-line distance between two points in the three-dimensional Lab color space, providing a measure of color difference.

3. Importance of Delta E Calculation

Details: Delta E is crucial in color-critical industries such as printing, photography, design, and manufacturing for quality control, color matching, and ensuring color consistency across different devices and materials.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the L, a, and b values for both colors. The calculator will compute the Delta E value, with lower values indicating smaller color differences (typically: ΔE < 1 = not perceptible, 1-2 = perceptible through close observation, 2-10 = perceptible at a glance, >11 = very different colors).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What do different Delta E values mean?
A: ΔE < 1: Not perceptible to human eye; 1-2: Perceptible through close observation; 2-10: Perceptible at a glance; >11: Colors are very different.

Q2: Are there different Delta E formulas?
A: Yes, there are several Delta E formulas (ΔE76, ΔE94, ΔE2000, ΔECMC). This calculator uses the original ΔE76 formula, which is the Euclidean distance in Lab space.

Q3: What is the Lab color space?
A: Lab is a color-opponent space with dimension L for lightness and a and b for the color-opponent dimensions, based on nonlinearly compressed CIE XYZ color space coordinates.

Q4: When is Delta E used in industry?
A: Delta E is widely used in printing, textile manufacturing, graphic design, photography, and any industry where color accuracy and consistency are important.

Q5: What are typical acceptable Delta E values?
A: Acceptance thresholds vary by industry: Graphic arts often uses ΔE < 2-3, textile industry may accept ΔE < 1, while less critical applications may accept ΔE < 5.