Converting a Citadel paint to a Vallejo candidate starts with digital color, but color alone can mislead you. Two stored swatches can sit close together in the calculation while the physical paints behave nothing alike because one is an opaque base and the other is a wash or metallic. The score ranks approximate color references. The finish type helps identify plausible candidates, but only a paint test shows how a substitution behaves. This guide explains how the matches on this site are calculated, what the similarity percentage means, and where its limits begin.
What the percentage means
The similarity percentage comes from a CIEDE2000 calculation on two stored digital swatches. Basecoat Lab converts the approximate sRGB references to CIE Lab, calculates ΔE00, then displays `100 − (5 × ΔE00)`, rounded and limited to 0 to 100. A higher score means the stored coordinates are closer. It does not establish how the physical paints will look side by side, so use the ranking to choose same-finish candidates and test the actual paint before substituting or mixing.
It does not, on its own, mean the paints are interchangeable in use. Coverage, thickness out of the pot, and wet-palette behavior are not included in this site's color calculation.
Where finish type changes the answer
A metallic and a flat brown can score as a close digital match and still be unsuitable as a swap because the color calculation cannot see shine, transparency, or how paint settles into recesses. Basecoat Lab uses catalog finish metadata to group and flag results; the finish itself is not measured by the color calculation.
The classes that matter when converting Citadel to Vallejo:
| Citadel type | What it is | Sensible Vallejo counterpart |
|---|---|---|
| Base | High-opacity foundation color | Model Color, applied in two thin coats |
| Layer | Thinner highlight color | Model Color or Game Color |
| Shade | Transparent wash for recesses | A wash-type paint, never an opaque |
| Contrast | One-coat paint that shades itself | Only another one-coat style paint behaves alike |
| Technical | Textures and effects | Usually no true equivalent, check the specific effect |
If the converter shows you a flagged cross-finish match, read it as "this is the closest color that exists in that brand," not "buy this instead."
How to actually use a conversion
Look the paint up with the converter or open the Citadel to Vallejo chart. Use same-finish results as candidates, then test the actual paint over the intended primer before buying or mixing. The score ranks approximate stored swatches and does not establish a physical threshold for substitution.
It is also worth knowing what you are converting between. The two ranges are built differently, and the Citadel vs Vallejo comparison covers where each one is strongest, including why many painters keep Citadel shades in the rack even after switching their base colors to Vallejo.
FAQ
Is there a perfect one-to-one Citadel to Vallejo chart?
No single chart is perfect, because the two ranges were mixed independently. The closest-match approach gets you a working starting point, then you adjust on the model.
Why does my converted paint look different once it dries?
Acrylics dry darker than they look wet, and the two brands' mediums dry at slightly different rates and sheens. Judge a conversion after the paint has fully dried over your actual primer, not in the pot.
Do I need to convert washes and contrast paints too?
Washes and one-coat paints are the hardest category to convert because their behavior depends on medium, not pigment. Color matches for them are shown, but test on a spare model first.
Are the community conversion charts wrong?
Community charts and this site's calculation can return different candidates because a chart may match paints by role in a scheme while Basecoat Lab ranks approximate stored swatches by calculated distance. They answer different questions, and neither replaces a physical test.