Mephiston Red vs Inktense Crimson

How close are they?

ΔE 11.0, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Inktense Crimson is a little darker, more muted than Mephiston Red. They are different kinds of paint: Citadel Mephiston Red is an opaque base/layer paint and Scale75 Inktense Crimson is an ink, glaze or transparent paint, so they won’t behave the same on the model even where the colour is close.

Can I use Inktense Crimson instead of Mephiston Red?

Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 11). Inktense Crimson is a little darker, more muted than Mephiston Red. They are different kinds of paint.

Can I use Mephiston Red instead of Inktense Crimson?

The same difference applies the other way round: Mephiston Red is a little lighter, 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.