How spectrophotometer colour matching actually works

L*a*b*, ΔE and recipe prediction, explained without the jargon.

A spectrophotometer reads a colour as three numbers — L* (lightness), a* (green–red) and b* (blue–yellow). Compare target vs batch in that space and you get ΔE: one number for "how far off are we".

From reading to recipe

Match the target against your dye library and you get a starting recipe to hit it — then fine-tune from the ΔE feedback on the first lab dip.

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