Closest Delta-E 2000 Paint Matches
Ranked by mathematical perceptual difference across all database brands
Box-Art & Photo Color Eyedropper Lab
Upload any miniature photo, box-art illustration, or concept sketch. Hover or drag across the image to sample exact sub-pixel colors and instantly calculate closest CIEDE2000 commercial paint equivalents and 3-step triad highlight formulas.
Drop a miniature photo or choose a preset above
Supports PNG, JPG, WEBP, and AVIF. Processed entirely inside your web browser.
Sampled Pixel Analysis Live Precision
Closest Commercial Paint Matches
CIEDE2000 ΔEAuto-Generated 3-Step Triad Formula
Algorithmically balanced highlights and shadow washes for this sampled tone
1:1 Cross-Brand Conversion Matrix
Direct laboratory color matches between Citadel pots, Vallejo dropper bottles, and Army Painter Fanatic/Speedpaints.
Active Wet Palette Slots
Simulate drop-by-drop pigment ratios with subtractive blending
Dilution & Transparency Simulator
Select medium/water dilution ratio to preview layer translucency and glaze flow.
Blended Color Result
Closest Commercial Bottle Equivalents:
Airbrush & Brush Dilution & Viscosity Calculator
Prevent nozzle clogs, needle dry-tip, spiderwebbing, and pigment chalking. Dynamically calculates precise drop ratios of acrylic paint, airbrush thinner, surfactant flow improver, and acrylic medium based on brand formulation, nozzle size, and compressor PSI.
Step 1: Technique & Hardware Setup
Airbrush Dual-ActionStep 2: Paint Formulation & Base Drops
Calculated Fluid Dynamics Formula
Ratio: 1 : 1.2 : 0.2Target Viscosity & Slump Test
~32 cPPaint clings momentarily to the airbrush cup wall and sheets downward without beading or pooling.
Diagnostic & Spray Risk Matrix
Master Miniature Paint Formulation & Viscosity Standards
Laboratory measured baseline viscosity (in centipoise $cP$ at 22°C standard studio room temperature) across major commercial miniature acrylic lines and optimal dilution ratios for 0.3mm airbrushing and traditional brush layering.
| Brand & Paint Line | Baseline Viscosity ($cP$) | Polymer Density | 0.3mm Airbrush Ratio | Optimal PSI Range | Brush Glaze Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel Base | 1,400 cP | Very High / Thixotropic | 1 : 1.2 + 0.2 Flow | 18 – 22 PSI | 1 : 4 Medium |
| Citadel Layer | 800 cP | Medium | 1 : 0.8 + 0.1 Flow | 16 – 20 PSI | 1 : 3 Medium |
| Vallejo Model Color | 1,600 cP | High Paste Density | 1 : 1.5 + 0.3 Flow | 20 – 24 PSI | 1 : 5 Medium |
| The Army Painter Fanatic | 950 cP | Stabilized Dense Pigment | 1 : 1.0 + 0.2 Flow | 18 – 22 PSI | 1 : 3.5 Medium |
| Monument Pro Acryl | 600 cP | Ultra-Matte High Fluidity | 1 : 0.6 + 0.1 Flow | 15 – 18 PSI | 1 : 2.5 Medium |
| Vallejo Model Air | 220 cP | Pre-Thinned Acrylic | 1 : 0.2 Flow Only | 15 – 18 PSI | 1 : 1 Medium |
| Citadel Contrast / Speedpaint | 70 cP | Polymer Dye / Surfactant Active | 1 : 0.5 Contrast Medium | 14 – 18 PSI | 1 : 1 to 1 : 4 Medium |
Your paint inventory, bottle levels, scanned photo swatches, and custom recipes are saved directly in your browser's local storage (no account or login required). Note: Clearing your browser history/cache will reset your local data. Save a backup anytime with Export Backup.
Army Scheme Architect
Design complete miniature army palettes by sub-assembly, calculate rack coverage percentages, detect missing paint shortages in 1-click, and build customized step-by-step painting formulas with printable recipe cards.
Custom Army Scheme Architect
Build, sequence, and verify your custom miniature painting formula
Essential Studio Equipment & Hobby Upgrades
Tested recommendations for vortex shakers, hydro wet palettes, Kolinsky sable brushes, daylight LED lamps, and airbrush setups.
Masterclass Technical Guides & Pillar Articles
In-depth technical guides covering paint conversions, wet palette chemistry, Kolinsky vs synthetic care, color theory, and airbrush PSI calibration.
The Science of Miniature Color Matching
Why traditional RGB Euclidean distance fails for miniature paints, how the CIE $L^*a^*b^*$ color space models human perception, and how our CIEDE2000 ($\Delta E^*_{00}$) algorithm calculates mathematically rigorous paint matches across brand formulations.
01 The Flaw of Standard sRGB Color Distance
Most digital paint conversion charts use simple Euclidean distance on digital Hex/RGB values: $\sqrt{(R_1-R_2)^2 + (G_1-G_2)^2 + (B_1-B_2)^2}$. However, the human eye does not perceive color differences linearly across the RGB color cube. The human visual system has far greater sensitivity to slight variations in green and blue wavelengths than in red or extreme chroma tones.
02 CIE $L^*a^*b^*$ Perceptual Uniformity
To achieve genuine perceptual accuracy, we convert all spectral measurements into the international standard CIE $L^*a^*b^*$ (1976) color space:
- $L^*$ (Lightness) From 0 (pure black) to 100 (diffuse white).
- $a^*$ (Green–Red) Negative values are green, positive values are red/magenta.
- $b^*$ (Blue–Yellow) Negative values are blue, positive values are yellow.
03 The CIEDE2000 ($\Delta E^*_{00}$) Formula
ResourceCentral computes match quality using the ISO/CIE 11664-6:2014 CIEDE2000 standard. CIEDE2000 introduces non-linear weighting factors ($S_L, S_C, S_H$) and a rotation term ($R_T$) to correct for chromatic non-uniformities in the blue-violet region:
Where $k_L = k_C = k_H = 1.0$ standard parametric factors for miniature acrylic inspection under standard D65 6500K daylight illumination.
$\Delta E^*_{00}$ Match Classification
Imperceptible to the human eye. Direct drop-in replacement across armies.
Perceptible only through side-by-side microscopic or close studio inspection.
Slight hue, saturation, or value shift. Perfectly acceptable for tabletop armies.
Noticeable difference. Useful as an adjacent highlight, midtone, or shadow step.
Citing This Methodology
Need to cite our CIEDE2000 engine or spectrophotometer database in your university thesis, painting tutorial, or article?
We have an obsessive passion for miniature painting and color science.
ResourceCentral was created by tabletop wargamers, display painters, and digital color scientists who were frustrated by discontinued paint lines, inconsistent conversion charts, and unreliable guesswork. We built the platform we always wished existed: a zero-bullshit, lightning-fast, scientifically verified miniature paint intelligence suite.
Scientific Rigor
No eyeballing or subjective approximations. Every shade is measured in cured acrylic dry-down state and calculated via CIEDE2000 math.
100% Free & Client-Side
Zero paywalls, zero accounts required, and zero cloud lock-in. Your paint rack inventory and recipes stay saved directly in your browser.
Brand Neutrality
We are completely independent. Citadel, Vallejo, The Army Painter, AK Interactive, and Pro Acryl are analyzed with equal, unbiased scientific precision.
Built for the Community
Designed for tournament players converting army recipes, art students studying pigment dynamics, and competition display painters.
The Problem We Solved
Every hobbyist knows the sinking feeling: You’re halfway through painting a 2,000-point Warhammer 40k army or a historical bolt-action platoon, and your key basecoat pot dries out—only to discover the manufacturer discontinued the shade or reformulated it with a completely different pigment load.
Existing PDF conversion charts from the early 2000s were riddled with errors, based on wet bottle caps rather than dry acrylic swatches, and failed to account for sheen differences (matte vs. satin vs. gloss). We spent hundreds of studio hours calibrating spectrophotometer data, swatch testing, and building an interactive matrix that solves this once and for all.
Who We Are
A collaborative collective of miniature painters, software engineers, and materials enthusiasts dedicated to open-access hobby intelligence.
Contact Us & Paint Data Submissions
Found a color discrepancy? Want to suggest a new paint range? Have an academic inquiry or army recipe to submit? We read and review every message.
Send a Message or Swatch Submission
Direct Laboratory Inquiries
For institutional licensing, bulk dataset requests, or academic research collaboration, contact our editorial team:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you verify new paints?
We apply 2 opaque coats onto neutral grey primer cards, allow 24 hours full curing, and measure using calibrated spectrophotometers.
Can I submit my own army recipe?
Yes! Use the form on the left with basecoats, washes, highlights, and your paint rack setup.
Cite ResourceCentral in Your Research & Projects
Writing an academic thesis on polymer pigments, drafting a YouTube video painting description, building a hobby spreadsheet, or publishing scale modeling research? Use our automated standard citation generator and embed badges.
Select Target Resource to Cite
@misc{resourcecentral2026,
author = {{ResourceCentral Laboratory}},
title = {Miniature Paint Intelligence and Cross-Brand CIEDE2000 Color Database},
year = {2026},
url = {https://resourcecentral.online/},
note = {Accessed: 2026-08-28}
}
Referral & Traffic Provenance
We monitor where researchers, gamers, and students reference ResourceCentral from to continually improve our dataset calibrations and community integrations:
Where ResourceCentral is Cited
- Academic Theses & Colorimetry Papers: Cited for polymer dispersion, spectral reflectance metrics, and dry-down index calculations.
- YouTube & Social Media Painting Tutorials: Cited in video descriptions when demonstrating paint substitutions and triad recipe conversions.
- Scale Modeling & Wargaming Tournaments: Used to verify historical armor camouflage fidelity and army painting uniformity.
Open Access Policy
ResourceCentral datasets and calculation methodology are open for non-commercial educational and hobby use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.