Smoke Black vs Grim Black

How close are they?

ΔE 3.8, very close: most people won’t see a difference side by side. Grim Black is a little darker than Smoke Black. They are different kinds of paint: AK Interactive Smoke Black is an opaque base/layer paint and Army Painter Grim Black is a one-coat contrast-style paint, so they won’t behave the same on the model even where the colour is close.

Can I use Grim Black instead of Smoke Black?

Yes, for most jobs. Very close match (ΔE 4). Grim Black is a little darker than Smoke Black. They are different kinds of paint.

Can I use Smoke Black instead of Grim Black?

The same difference applies the other way round: Smoke Black is a little lighter.

ΔE is the colour difference between our two swatch estimates: under about 6 is close, over about 15 is loose. Real paints also differ in finish, coverage and how they thin, so test before you commit.