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Calcimator

Color Measurement (Lab) Calculator

Calculate Delta E color difference between two food samples using CIELAB color space (CIE76 and CIE94 formulae).

Inputs

Results

ΔE*ab (CIE76)

7.35

ΔE*94 (CIE94)

5.54

ΔL* (lightness diff)-5
ΔC*ab (chroma diff)-5.23
ΔH*ab (hue diff)1.27
Hue angle 1 (°)99.5
Hue angle 2 (°)96.8
Perceptibility level5
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter L*, a*, and b* values for both a reference sample and the test sample from your colorimeter.
  2. The calculator computes ΔE*ab (CIE76), ΔE*94, ΔL*, ΔC*, ΔH*, hue angles for each sample, and a perceptibility rating.
  3. A ΔE < 1 is imperceptible; 1–2 is a slight difference visible to trained observers; > 3.5 is obvious to consumers.
  4. Use these values to set color acceptance limits for incoming ingredients or finished product release.

How the result changes with Sample 1: L* (lightness)

Sample 1: L* (lightness)ΔE*ab (CIE76)ΔE*94 (CIE94)
1050.2950.06
3525.5725.11
657.355.54
9030.4830.09

What each input means

Sample 1: L* (lightness)
L* value for reference sample (0 = black, 100 = white).
Sample 1: a* (red-green)
a* value for reference sample (+ = red, - = green).
Sample 1: b* (yellow-blue)
b* value for reference sample (+ = yellow, - = blue).
Sample 2: L* (lightness)
L* value for test sample.
Sample 2: a* (red-green)
a* value for test sample.
Sample 2: b* (yellow-blue)
b* value for test sample.

What each result means

ΔE*ab (CIE76)
CIE76 color difference. <1 imperceptible, 1–2 slight, 2–3.5 noticeable, 3.5–5 obvious, >5 different color.
ΔE*94 (CIE94)
CIE94 color difference (graphic arts weighting). More perceptually uniform than CIE76.
ΔL* (lightness diff)
Lightness difference. Positive = sample 2 is lighter.
ΔC*ab (chroma diff)
Chroma (saturation) difference. Positive = sample 2 is more vivid.
ΔH*ab (hue diff)
Hue difference component.
Hue angle 1 (°)
Hue angle of reference sample in degrees (0–360).
Hue angle 2 (°)
Hue angle of test sample in degrees (0–360).
Perceptibility level
1 = imperceptible, 2 = slight, 3 = noticeable, 4 = obvious, 5 = different color.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Sample 1: L* (lightness) = 65, Sample 1: a* (red-green) = -5, Sample 1: b* (yellow-blue) = 30, Sample 2: L* (lightness) = 60 = 6 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate ΔE*ab
    ΔE*ab = sqrt(deltaL * deltaL + deltaA * deltaA + deltaB * deltaB)
    7.348 = 7.348
  3. Calculate ΔE*94
    ΔE*94 = sqrt(
    5.535 = 5.535
  4. Calculate ΔL*
    ΔL* = l2 - l1
    -5 = -5
  5. Calculate ΔC*ab
    ΔC*ab = c2 - c1
    -5.23 = -5.23

Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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