Poppy Red vs C.P. Cadmium Red Dark

How close are they?

ΔE 13.5, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. C.P. Cadmium Red Dark is noticeably darker, more saturated than Poppy Red. They are different kinds of paint: Army Painter Poppy Red is a one-coat contrast-style paint and Golden C.P. Cadmium Red Dark is an opaque base/layer paint, so they won’t behave the same on the model even where the colour is close.

Can I use C.P. Cadmium Red Dark instead of Poppy Red?

Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 14). C.P. Cadmium Red Dark is noticeably darker, more saturated than Poppy Red. They are different kinds of paint.

Can I use Poppy Red instead of C.P. Cadmium Red Dark?

The same difference applies the other way round: Poppy Red is noticeably lighter, 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.