Paints › Army Painter › Steel › vs Boiler BlackSteel vs Boiler Black
Brand Army Painter Range Warpaints Historical Code WP4038P Type a metallic Swatch #5a5a5e (estimate)
Brand Formula P3 Range P3 Metallics Code 93172 Type a metallic Swatch #52524f (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 5.6, very close: most people won’t see a difference side by side. Boiler Black is a little darker than Steel.
Can I use Boiler Black instead of Steel? Yes, for most jobs. Very close match (ΔE 6). Boiler Black is a little darker than Steel.
Can I use Steel instead of Boiler Black? The same difference applies the other way round: Steel 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.
See Steel on the colour wheel See Boiler Black on the colour wheel
Other Formula P3 paints close to Steel Other Army Painter paints close to Boiler Black All matches: Steel equivalents · Boiler 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.
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