Paints › Army Painter › Grim Black › vs Dark Blue Black
Grim Black vs Dark Blue Black
Brand Army Painter Range Speedpaint 2.0 Type a one-coat contrast-style paint Swatch #1c1f1a (estimate)
Brand Pro Acryl Range 1-Step Code 503 Type a one-coat contrast-style paint Swatch #1a2038 (estimate)
How close are they?
ΔE 21.0, loose: different enough that you should pick on purpose. Dark Blue Black is much more saturated than Grim Black.
Can I use Dark Blue Black instead of Grim Black? Not as a straight swap; see the closer alternatives below. Loose match (ΔE 21). Dark Blue Black is much more saturated than Grim Black.
Can I use Grim Black instead of Dark Blue Black? The same difference applies the other way round: Grim Black is much more muted.
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.
See Grim Black on the colour wheel See Dark Blue Black on the colour wheel
Other Pro Acryl paints close to Grim Black Other Army Painter paints close to Dark Blue Black
All matches: Grim Black equivalents · Dark Blue Black equivalents
© 2026 AK Tabletop Studio. Swatch colours are estimates and will differ from the real paints; cross-brand matches are close, never exact.
Chart-listed matches come from the Two Thin Coats Paint Comparison Chart 2024, the Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic conversion chart, the AK 3rd Generation Acrylics equivalence table (2021) and the Herrick Games hobby paint comparison chart; the rest are a nearest-colour calculation.
The Painters Desk is unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by any paint brand. Paint names are trademarks of their owners.
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