...Sorry, but I still don't understand the "cents off" philosophy.
I cant speak for other folks, but when I refer to some number of +/- cents, I am referring to the intonation being out of whack.
On your TUNER a single line or mark is some amount of +/- OFF of the center of the pitch.
If A4 = 440hz, and your tuner has 1 cent per line and when you play an A4 note, if it is 10 lines above, i.e. SHARP, it is going to be 450hz, assuming that 1 cent = 1 hz in frequency.
The problem is that even if all the OPEN strings match the tuner perfectly, and even if 12th fret intonation is spot-on, there can be STILL intonation issues in first position chords due to the nut slots being too high.
Beginners with a stone for an eardrum
cannot tell the difference of poor intonation and for them, ignorance is bliss, but if your ear is more trained, such like mine, and can hear if the intonation is sharp or flat by as little as 4 cents, or think of it as 'four percent' and it bugs the crap out of me and I cannot play such an instrument and would have to lower the nuts slots, approx. 0.5mm at a time PER SLOT, incrementally, tune up the string, re-test with a tuner, and rinse and repeat (usually about a dozen times)
UNTIL the intonation is LESS than 4 percent sharp at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd frets - for if not, I find the instrument unplayable.
The ONLY workaround to this nut slots being too hight, is if you NEVER play chords with open strings and ALWAYS only ever play either BARRE chords or chords with all 4 strings fretted, and hope and pray that saddle compensation is good or can be adjusted.
Lowering the nut slots is something I consider to be a ROYAL PITA for me to do, for if you go too far you will get fret buzz, and have to start over (either refill the slots with a paste made from CA glue and baking soda or get a new nut, or cut a new nut from blank material), which I'd prefer not to do because of the incremental/iterative nature as well as the time spent is now wasted because you cut the slot too deep.
If you meant something else by 'cents off' I am at a loss and apologize for the digression.
Also ukes with a ZERO FRET, like those from Magic Fluke Company, like FLUKE and FLEA ukes which ALL have a zero fret, do NOT have this intonation problem.
Hope this helps.