Planning a paint shopping list with a conversion tool works best when you go color by color inside one finish class at a time, base coats first, rather than trying to convert an entire scheme in one pass. Build the list in that order and you end up with a buy list sorted by what you will actually paint first, not just a wall of percentages.
Start with the finish groups, not the color list
A typical army or crew scheme mixes base coats, layer highlights, washes, and maybe a metallic or two. Running every one of those through the matcher in the order they appear on your notes mixes easy same-finish swaps with harder cross-finish calls, which makes the whole list feel less reliable than it actually is. Sort your existing paint list into finish groups first: bases, layers, washes, metallics, technical. Match the bases first, since base-to-base matches are the most reliable category the tool produces, then move to layers, then washes last, since those need the most judgment.
Work through the converter one group at a time
For each color in a group, look it up in the converter and note the top same-finish result and its percentage. If you are converting an entire established range rather than one-off colors, the Citadel to Vallejo chart lays out the whole set at once, which is faster once you already know you are committing to a full range switch rather than testing a few colors first. Either path pulls from the same underlying match data, so the numbers will not change between them.
Flag anything under about eighty percent rather than adding it straight to the cart. Those are the colors worth a swatch test before you commit to a bottle, and building that test list alongside your buy list saves a second pass through your paint rack later.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sort your existing colors into base, layer, wash, metallic groups |
| 2 | Match bases first using the converter or full chart |
| 3 | Match layers next |
| 4 | Match washes and metallics last, flag anything under 80 percent |
| 5 | Buy the flagged group last, after a swatch test |
Buying in batches instead of all at once
A full range switch is expensive to do in one order and risky if even a handful of matches turn out wrong once painted. Buying the base coat matches first, painting a test model, then following up with layers and washes once the base coats have proven out in person is a lower-risk way to run a full conversion. It also means any surprise, a match that reads differently once dry than the swatch suggested, gets caught before you have committed to the whole list.
If you are moving into Vallejo specifically from another range, its Model Color and Game Color lines split roughly along the same base-versus-layer lines most painters already think in, which makes sorting your existing list into those categories faster than it sounds.
FAQ
Should I convert my whole paint collection at once?
Buying in finish-group batches, starting with base coats, is safer than converting everything in one order. It lets you confirm the first batch of matches in person before committing to the rest.
How do I know which matches are safe to buy without testing first?
Same-finish matches in the mid nineties and above are reliable enough to buy on sight for most painters. Anything below about eighty percent, or any match that crosses finish types, is worth a swatch test before it goes on the shopping list.
Can I plan a shopping list without owning the original paints anymore?
Yes, the matcher works from the paint's recorded color and finish type, not from a physical sample, so you can plan a full list from an old army list, a photo, or memory of a scheme as long as you know the original paint names.
Is it cheaper to convert one brand at a time rather than mixing brands?
Sticking with one destination brand usually simplifies thinning and medium behavior across the whole scheme, since you are learning one range's handling instead of several. The matcher will still show you the best option regardless of brand if a genuine gap exists in your target range.