The objectives of this work were to develop a comprehensive visual dataset around one CIE blue color center, NCSU-B1, and to use the new dataset to test the performance of the major color difference formulae in this region of color space based on various statistical methods. The dataset comprised of 66 dyed polyester fabrics with small color differences (Delta E-ab*<5) around a CIE blue color center. The visual difference between each sample and the color center was assessed by 26 observers in three separate sittings using a modified AATCC gray scale and a total of 5148 assessments were obtained. The performance of CIELAB, CIE94, CMC(l:c), BFD(l:c), and CIEDE2000 (K-L: K-C: K-H) color difference formulae based on the blue dataset was evaluated at various K-L (or l) values using PF/3, conventional correlation coefficient (r), Spearman rank correlation coefficient (p) and the STRESS function. The optimum range for K-L (or l) was found to be 1-1.3 based on PF/3, 1.4-1.7 based on r, and 1-1.4 based on STRESS, and in these ranges the performances of CIEDE2000, CMC, BFD and CIE94 were not statistically different at the 95% confidence level. At KL (or l) = 1, the performance of CIEDE2000 was statistically improved compared to CMC, CIE94 and CIELAB. Also, for NCSU-B1, the difference in the performance of CMC (2: 1) from the performance of CMC (1: 1) was statistically insignificant at 95% confidence. The same result was obtained when the performance of all the weighted color difference formulae were compared for KL (or l) 1 versus 2. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 36, 27-41, 2011; Published online 10 November 2009 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary. com). DOI 10.1002/col.20549