Paints › Tamiya › NATO Black › vs Dark RustNATO Black vs Dark Rust
Brand Tamiya Range XF Flat Acrylic Code XF-69 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #231f20 (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range Model Color Code 70.771 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #301e22 (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 7.6, close: similar, with a visible difference side by side. Dark Rust is more saturated than NATO Black.
Can I use Dark Rust instead of NATO Black? Usually, if you are not matching paint already on the model. Close match (ΔE 8). Dark Rust is more saturated than NATO Black.
Can I use NATO Black instead of Dark Rust? The same difference applies the other way round: NATO Black is 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 NATO Black on the colour wheel See Dark Rust on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to NATO Black Other Tamiya paints close to Dark Rust All matches: NATO Black equivalents · Dark Rust 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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