Paints › Tamiya › Light Sand › vs USAF TanLight Sand vs USAF Tan
Brand Tamiya Range TS Spray Code TS-46 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #e2ae7c (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range Model Air Code 71.348 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #b4885c (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 15.1, loose: different enough that you should pick on purpose. USAF Tan is noticeably darker than Light Sand.
Can I use USAF Tan instead of Light Sand? Not as a straight swap; see the closer alternatives below. Loose match (ΔE 15). USAF Tan is noticeably darker than Light Sand.
Can I use Light Sand instead of USAF Tan? The same difference applies the other way round: Light Sand is noticeably 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 Light Sand on the colour wheel See USAF Tan on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to Light Sand Other Tamiya paints close to USAF Tan All matches: Light Sand equivalents · USAF Tan 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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