Describing color shift tolerance in layman's terms

[danremaley]

Looking for advice on how to explain to designers that we (the customer) have to accept some variance in color which is within industry standard tolerance. What is the best way to do that.

If I was to show them this, it would do no good:
Coated Stock
C 1.45(+/-0.08)
M 1.40(+/-0.08)
Y 1.05(+/-0.08)
K 1.80(+/-0.08)

Is there a way of translating the Delta E to something the designer would better understand? For example, could you say the Magenta may move shift up to 3%. Something like that?

I realize there are so many variables, and don't want this thread to turn into super tech talk. Just wondering if anyone has a simple and easily understandable way of letting the customer know that they can expect some color shift throughout the run of their project.

Thanks in advance.

Delta differences vary - depending on the color. If you look at the CMC elliptical Chart showing Lab color space you'll notice that 'Reds' have a smaller eclipse than 'Greens'. Therefore we will accept larger variations of Greens than Reds!
Note the size of neutral grey - very small!
A 2% dot gain change - equals a Delta of 2. A 4% dot gain change - equals a Delta of 4.
I have attached examples-
I also included a simple method to achieve Grey Balance at Press - please try it out and let me know your results.
One for Coated and Uncoated!
Any questions? Call Me 412.889.7643

 

[xmoles]

What is Delta E? And Why Is It Important for Color Accuracy? - ViewSonic Library

When looking for a high-end monitor, you will ask yourself this: What is Delta E? Learn the answer here (and why it's more important than you think).

www.viewsonic.com

https://support.hunterlab.com/hc/en-us/articles/203023559-Brief-Explanation-of-delta-E-or-delta-E