Delta-E

What does Delta-E (ΔE) mean


ΔE valuePerception
0–1Not perceptible
1–2Barely noticeable
2–3.5Noticeable upon closer inspection
3.5–5Clearly noticeable
5–10Big difference
>10Completely different colors

Hex and RGB in the statistics tables

  • OEM Hex/RGB: The exact original color of the BMW paint
  • Web Hex/RGB: The next color that can be displayed on the web (often from a limited palette)
  • Delta-E: Indicates how much the web representation differs from the actual paint color

Examples from the tables

  • Black (086): ΔE = 0 → Perfect match
  • Alpine White 2 (218): ΔE = 3.2 → Minor deviation
  • Calypsorot Metallic (252): ΔE = 8.2 → Significant difference (metallic effects are difficult to reproduce digitally)

The Delta value helps explain how accurately a paint color can be reproduced on screens.

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