Struggling to match miniature paint colours accurately? Here's the ultimate solution.
You’ve probably been there: trying to follow a painting tutorial, only to realise you don’t have the same paints. Or, making the switch from one paint brand to another. Or, simply buying paints online for your next project.
You search for colour conversions, follow the manufacturer’s conversion tables, or try your luck with apps – but the results are always a bit off. Colour swatches and product images look different on screen than in real life, conversions between ranges rarely line up, and you end up with a drawer full of paints that just don’t match.
That ends now. Never buy the wrong paints again.
Why most colour swatches fail
Manufacturer conversion tables and colour tiles are often abstract graphics based on alphanumeric CMYK or RGB values. They can’t fully capture how real paint behaves – especially on miniatures, where lighting, sheen, and surface texture all affect colour perception. Additionally, converting CMYK print data to RGB screen data (and vice-versa) introduces further inaccuracies.
The solution: Stahly’s hand-painted swatches
After years of testing paint ranges and reviewing hobby products on Tale of Painters and YouTube, I knew there had to be a better way to compare paints and colours. So I built it.
My 7-in-1 colour matching tool features over 1,100 colours from the seven most popular miniature paint brands:
- AK 3rd Gen
- Citadel Colour
- Pro Acryl
- Two Thin Coats
- Vallejo Game & Model Color
- Warpaints Fanatic
Al in one powerful, interactive PDF document.
What makes my swatches different:
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Real hand-painted samples on textured plasticard, professionally photographed under calibrated 5500K daylight studio lighting
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Intuitively sorted by colour families arranged by hue, value, and saturation
- Shows the covering power (opacity) of each colour using a rating of zero to three bars
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Clever navigation and quick-access pages so you can find what you need fast
My swatches aren’t just a mere approximation – they’re the closest thing to holding real painted samples in your hands.
Get this (and more!) on Patreon
As well as the 7-in-1 document, my Patreon shop also features a growing library of individual, range-specific swatches. These cover not only the industry leaders but also more niche brands like Scale 75 and Ionic. All consistent and cross-compatible with each other and the 7-in-1 colour matching document.
Learn more
Want to see the 7-in-1 colour matching tool and swatches in action before making a decision? Watch the video here:
Update guarantee
All my swatches are regularly checked, optimised, and expanded whenever new colours are released. These updates are free of charge. I want to create the best library of paint resources out there, eventually covering every paint range on the market. To help support me with endeavour, I’d be grateful if you would also consider backing the project with a purchase or Patreon membership.
