To find the closest match for a paint, start from the paint you already know, not the color you think you need. Look it up, compare the ranked matches by similarity percentage, then confirm the top result shares the same finish type before you buy. Skipping the finish check is the single most common reason a "close match" disappoints on the model.
Step 1: identify the exact paint
Get the specific name off the pot, not a rough description. "A dark red" could mean a dozen different paints across ten brands, but "Mephiston Red" points to exactly one color with a known hex value. If you are matching from memory or a photo, narrow it down using the range it came from first: base, layer, wash, contrast, and so on, since that alone rules out most of the catalog.
Step 2: run it through a matching tool, not a static chart
A printed chart freezes at the moment it was made and never accounts for range changes, formula updates, or paints released afterward. A live matching tool recalculates from the current catalog every time. Enter the paint, and you will get a ranked list of the closest colors across every other brand, each with a percentage score rather than a single guess.
Step 3: read the percentage, don't just take the top result
| Similarity range | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| 90 to 100 | Same color at arm's length, safe to swap directly |
| 75 to 89 | Same family, a visible difference side by side |
| Below 75 | Related color only, treat as a mixing base |
If the top match sits below 75, look at the second and third results too. Sometimes a paint two brands away is closer than the nearest same-brand alternative.
Step 4: confirm the finish type
A base, a layer, a wash, a contrast paint, and a metallic all behave differently no matter how close their measured color is. Never accept a cross-finish match as a direct substitute. If you need an opaque base and the closest color match is a wash, that tells you the color family, not the product to buy. Check the finish listed on the paint's page before ordering.
Step 5: test before you commit to a full model
Paint a spare model, a test card, or an inconspicuous part of the miniature first. Acrylics dry darker than they look wet, and different brands' mediums dry to slightly different sheens. A match that looks perfect in the pot can read differently once cured over your primer.
A worked example
Say you are out of Citadel's Mephiston Red mid-project and need something close from whatever you have on the shelf. Look it up, and the top ranked result comes back as Pro Acryl's Bold Pyrrole Red at roughly 91 percent similarity, both classed as base colors, so it drops straight in without adjustment. If your shelf only has options further down the list, in the seventies or low eighties, plan on mixing in a touch of white or a slightly darker red once you see it on the model rather than trusting it straight from the pot.
What to do when nothing matches well
Occasionally the closest available match in your other brands sits well below 70 percent. When that happens, treat the result as a mixing base rather than a direct substitute: start with the closest option, then adjust with white, black, or a nearby hue until it reads correctly next to the rest of your scheme. It is also worth checking whether the paint you are trying to replace has since been reformulated or renamed, since older Citadel and Vallejo paints occasionally shifted color slightly when a range was refreshed.
FAQ
What is the fastest way to match a paint color?
Look the paint up in a converter that already has the whole catalog loaded, rather than scrolling a printed chart by eye. It returns a ranked, scored list instantly.
Should I match by name or by looking at the swatch?
Match by the specific paint name whenever you have it. Two paints can look identical on a screen swatch and still be different colors once mixed, so the name is more reliable than a visual guess.
Can I match a discontinued paint?
Often, yes, as long as the discontinued paint's color data is still in the catalog. The match works from the recorded color, not from whether the paint is still in production.
Do I need to match washes and contrast paints the same way?
The color math still applies, but treat the result with more caution. Washes and one-coat paints depend heavily on their medium, so a color match is a starting point, not a guarantee of matching behavior.