Poison Yellow vs Pastel Yellow

How close are they?

ΔE 14.1, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Pastel Yellow is noticeably lighter, more muted than Poison Yellow. They are different kinds of paint: AMMO by Mig Poison Yellow is an opaque base/layer paint and Army Painter Pastel Yellow 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 Pastel Yellow instead of Poison Yellow?

Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 14). Pastel Yellow is noticeably lighter, more muted than Poison Yellow. They are different kinds of paint.

Can I use Poison Yellow instead of Pastel Yellow?

The same difference applies the other way round: Poison Yellow is noticeably darker, more saturated.

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.