# Read your result: L*a*b*, shot spread, ΔE00 match and depth

- URL: https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/reading-your-result
- Product: Shadecard (https://sc.abdohoo.app)
- Section: Shade library & matching
- Updated: 2026-09-30

> The result shows your fabric's L*a*b*, how well the three photos agreed (spread), how close the nearest shade is (ΔE00), a Y:R:B starting recipe and a depth in % owf.

A Shadecard result tells you three things: what colour the fabric measured (**L\*a\*b\***), how trustworthy that reading is (the **spread** between the three photos), and how close the nearest library shade is (**ΔE00**). Below that sit the **Starting recipe** – a yellow:red:blue ratio – and a depth in **% owf**, grams of dye per 100 g of fabric.

## The numbers at a glance

The demo on sc.abdohoo.app lays out the same quantities the app reports, so it is a good way to learn them:

![Demo reading on sc.abdohoo.app: three shots, fused L*a*b* 44.0 −7.8 38.4, shot agreement ΔE 0.62 high, nearest shade Olive, match ΔE00 0.08 normal match, a yellow-red-blue bar and depth 1.5% owf medium](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/web-demo-reading-phone.webp)The website demo simulates a reading with the app's maths; it does not measure clothQuantityWhat it means**L\***Lightness, from 0 (black) to 100 (white)**a\***Green (−) to red (+)**b\***Blue (−) to yellow (+)**Spread / shot agreement**The largest ΔE2000 between any two of the three photos – the reading's error bar**Match ΔE00**Distance from your fabric to the matched shade, using ΔE2000 with 2:1 lightness weighting**Depth**Suggested total dye as % of fabric weight, estimated from your L\*## Top of the result: the match

The result opens with **your fabric** beside the matched shade, joined by a ≈ sign, then the shade's name and a verdict:

Match ΔE00Verdict shownunder 1**Excellent match — practically the same color.**1 to 2.5**Close match.**2.5 to 6**Decent match — a little tuning will likely be needed.**6 to 9**Rough match — treat it as a starting neighbourhood.** plus a **ROUGH MATCH** cardover 9No shade is named – see [Why Shadecard shows no recipe](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/no-recipe-shown)The **MATCH CLOSENESS** meter shows the same number on a bar with three zones: **close**, **rough** and **far**.

### Why "2:1 lightness weighting"?

Matching uses ΔE2000 but counts a lightness difference at half weight (the textile 2:1 convention). Depth is your dial: the same Rust ratio makes a pale or a deep rust depending on how much dye you use. So the library is searched mainly for **hue and chroma**, and the depth is worked out separately from your fabric's own L\*.

## Capture quality and confidence

Under the verdict you will see **Capture quality: good — the three photos agree.** or **Capture quality: fair.** Confidence is high only when all of these hold:

- the spread is under 1,
- a reference (paper, grey card or chart) was in the frame,
- the camera held its exposure and white-balance lock, and
- the photos came from a normal still capture.

Anything the app noticed – shine, shadow, uneven area, blur, flicker – is listed in a **HEADS-UP** card. These warnings never block the result, but they explain a fair rating.

## The Starting recipe

The recipe card shows the ratio (for example **Y 56 · R 16 · B 28**) with a coloured bar, and a line such as *Use about 1.5% of the fabric's weight in dye — a "medium" depth for how dark your fabric reads.*

Depth bands come from your measured L\*:

Your L\*BandTypical % owfabove 80pastel0.1–0.565–80light0.5–145–65medium1–230–45dark2–4below 30very dark4–8+Within a band the app interpolates, so a lighter "medium" gets less dye than a darker one. The real figure depends on your dye's strength and the fibre – which is why the next section on the result, **Fiber & dye type**, matters. See [Understanding the trichromatic recipe](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/trichromatic-recipe-explained).

## Tuning tips and runners-up

- **Tuning tips** translate the difference between your fabric and the shade into one or two nudges, for example *Your fabric is redder — nudge the red up a point or two.*
- **Also worth a look — tap to swap** lists the two runner-up shades. Tapping one makes it the main match and updates the recipe. See [Find and compare the nearest shades](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/nearest-shades-and-compare).

Further down, the result may add computed alternatives: **Also try: least-squares recipe** when the model fits your colour well, **Also try: interpolated recipe** when the curated match is rough, and **Also try: learned from your dips** once you have logged enough measured dips. Each is badged and each is a first lab dip, not a proven recipe.

## Engineering details

Tap **SHOW +** on **Engineering details** for the raw numbers: `measured` L\*a\*b\*, `matched shade`, `top matches` with their ΔE00(2:1), `shot spread` with the bands (<1 high · 1–3 medium · >3 reject), `reference`, the `depth model` (L\* → band → % owf), and each shot's Lab, clipping and unevenness.

![The Refusals section of sc.abdohoo.app: no reference card means shade family only, spread over ΔE 3 means capture rejected, match over ΔE 9 means no recipe offered](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/web-refusals.webp)The three limits behind the numbers, as the website explains them## What to do next

Tap **Work out the amounts** to open the calculator with this recipe filled in, **Save measurement** to keep it, or **Share recipe card** to send a picture of the swatch, Lab, ratio and depth – with the lab-dip reminder – to WhatsApp or any app. Then run the lab dip: [From recipe to lab dip](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/from-recipe-to-lab-dip).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a good match ΔE00?

The app calls a match under 1 excellent, under 2.5 close, and up to 6 decent. From 6 to 9 it is a rough match that needs a correction round; above 9 no shade is named.

### What is the spread?

The largest colour difference (ΔE2000) between any two of the three photos. Under 1 is high confidence, 1–3 medium, and over 3 the capture is rejected.

### Why does the depth differ from the library shade's depth?

Hue comes from the matched shade, but depth is estimated from your fabric's own lightness (L*), so the same shade can be recommended at a paler or deeper % owf.

### Where are the exact numbers?

Open Engineering details (SHOW +) at the bottom of the result for measured Lab, top matches, shot spread, reference, depth model and each shot.