For designers, photographers, or creatives who need to create and edit on a monitor, color accuracy is crucial for a productive work session. Professional monitors will advertise the percentage of color spaces they can achieve and usually list a specification known as Delta E, with the ideal range being Delta E ≤ 3. But what exactly is Delta E and why is it an important factor when selecting the right monitor for your work? In this article, we will break down Delta E for color accuracy in professional monitors. 

Delta E is a standard measurement that evaluates and quantifies the difference between the colors that appear on your monitor. It was created by the International Commission on Illumination (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage) to help professionals make informed decisions when purchasing color-accurate monitors. The closer to 0 the Delta E measurement is, the better the color on a monitor is because there are fewer differences between colors. While the full scale is 0 to 100, if the range on a monitor is above 3, the differences will be clear, and your work will not be color accurate.

The image to the right shows the Delta E color bases that determine the range on a monitor. Red, Green, and Blue, often known as RGB, are familiar based on color spaces, but White is also an important factor for the Delta E range. It is more complex than the regular color spaces because it is the full range of colors that are achievable on a monitor, beyond what is visible to the human eye.

The term “Delta E” means a difference in sensation or, in relation to colors, the difference in colors. If we break down the phrase, Delta is the Greek term that means an “incremental change of a variable,” and the E stands for the German word “Empfinding,” which means “sensation.”  

Delta E is the foundation of color accuracy. Even if your professional monitor covers high percentages of Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI-P3 color spaces, a Delta E range above 3 means your work won’t be color accurate due to an incorrect color display. For editing graphics, images, and videos, a Delta E ≤ 3 value will ensure no visible distortion in the colors as the human eye can see the displayed colors accurately.

Professional monitors will advertise the range as Delta E ≤ 3, but the exact number can usually be found in the specifications or on a factory calibration report, if provided. No monitor can reach a Delta E of 0, but many brands will claim aggressive color space numbers based on the Delta E value when only one of the color spaces reaches the advertised number. Knowing the specific Delta E number is important for the color accuracy of the different color spaces and the on-screen content. 

The Delta E value can be determined with a complex equation, hardware calibrating your monitor, or is provided in a factory calibration report. If you’d like to learn more about calibrating your monitor or the calibration report, check out this article. Professional-grade monitors, such as the BenQ PD series for designers and SW series for photographers, come with a factory calibration report that displays the exact color gamuts and Delta E specifications of that monitor. This is a strong verification of the quality of the monitor and the base range for any hardware calibration done in the future to maintain color accuracy. Below is an example of a calibration report for an SW and PD monitor. 

At BenQ, we strive to reproduce accurate colors in every one of our professional photography monitors. AQCOLOR, a proprietary technology developed by BenQ, is built on meeting industrial standards, emphasizing display details, and providing an out-of-the-box guarantee. With color coverage of up to Delta E ≤ 2, 99% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB, and 98% P3 coverage, BenQ AQCOLOR monitors provide the best overall color accuracy available. Monitor capabilities are backed by third-party qualifications such as a Pantone Validated Certificate and Calman certification. The goal is to create products that will deliver on the promise of “Colors You Can Trust” and empower creative professionals in every aspect of their work.

Join the AQCOLOR Community and get the color accuracy you need with BenQ PhotoVue Monitors and DesignVue Monitors, backed by AQCOLOR technology and Paper Color Sync, guaranteeing color accuracy from screen to print. If you’re a student, take advantage of our special student offer here to get great quality for a great price. Additionally, SW and PD series purchasers and existing owners can get one FREE year of the new Pantone Connect Premium to bring the benefits of your smart device to your computer.