What is Delta E (ΔE)?
Color difference, measured
Delta E Definition
Delta E (ΔE) is the standard numerical measure of the difference between two colors, used in packaging to quantify how closely a printed result matches its brand target. A lower ΔE means a closer match. Values at or below 2.0 are generally imperceptible to the human eye, which makes ΔE the objective basis for color quality control.
How Delta E is measured
ΔE is calculated from color coordinates in a device-independent space (usually CIELAB), comparing a measured sample against a reference. Several formulas exist. ΔE76 is the original and simplest, while ΔE2000 (dE2000) corrects for how human vision actually perceives differences across the color range, and is the more reliable choice for brand color work today.
Why Delta E matters in packaging
A brand color has to hold across many SKUs, substrates, print processes, and markets. A logo printed on a folding carton, a flexible pouch, and a label can drift apart even when each looks acceptable on its own. ΔE turns "close enough" into a number, so a target and its tolerance can be agreed in advance and verified on output rather than argued after the fact.
ΔE In a Governed Workflow
Governed color management treats ΔE as an agreed, reported tolerance rather than a subjective judgment call, measured and recorded as part of the color approval trail. See ARTiViA's approach to Packaging Color Management.
Frequently asked questions
For brand-critical color, a tolerance of ΔE 2.0 or below (measured with ΔE2000) is a common target, since differences at or below that level are difficult to perceive by eye. Acceptable tolerances vary by substrate, print process, and brand standard.
ΔE76 is the original straight-line distance between two colors. ΔE2000 adjusts the calculation to match human perception more closely, especially for subtle differences. ΔE2000 is generally preferred for evaluating brand color accuracy.
A brand target and its ΔE tolerance are set in advance. Printed or proofed output is measured against that target, and the resulting ΔE shows whether the color is within tolerance, giving an objective pass or fail rather than a visual guess.
