Imperial Blue sits in the blue family: dark in tone, moderate in saturation, cool in cast. Matching it is straightforward: Revell Night blue/Nachtblau (RAL 5022) lands at 94 percent in the same finish, and 7 brands in all carry a close same-finish swap. It builds a smooth gradient with Amethyst Blue underneath and Deep Blue on the highlights, all in the AK Interactive line. In practice you can substitute across brands here without anyone noticing at arm's length.
Imperial Blue equivalents in other ranges
Several ranges orbit this color without landing on it. Here is the closest each brand manages, nearest first:
- Closest Revell equivalent: Revell Night blue/Nachtblau (RAL 5022), close enough that batch variation matters more (delta E 1.2).
- Nearest in the Vallejo catalog: Vallejo Dark Blue, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.2).
- Best Humbrol option: Humbrol Insignia Blue, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.0).
- From Green Stuff World: Green Stuff World Lapislazuli, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.0).
- The Army Painter's closest color: The Army Painter Triumphant Navy, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.4).
- Nearest in the Tamiya catalog: Tamiya JNSDF Blue, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.7).
Side by side the two agree in lightness and temperature; at delta E 1.2 the gap is smaller than the variation between two pots of the same paint.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Revell
Vallejo
Humbrol
Green Stuff World
The Army Painter
Tamiya
P3 Paints
Monument Pro Acryl
Citadel
Scale75
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Pairs well with
Try any paint in the scheme toolMatch difficulty
Found in 7 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to AK Interactive Imperial Blue?
The closest same-finish match is Revell Night blue/Nachtblau (RAL 5022) at 94% color similarity.
Is there a Vallejo equivalent of Imperial Blue?
Yes. The closest Vallejo option is Dark Blue at 89%, a same-finish match.
What color is Imperial Blue?
Imperial Blue is a dark moderate blue with a cool undertone (hex #262E5F).
What do I highlight and shade Imperial Blue with?
Highlight Imperial Blue toward Deep Blue and shade it down into Amethyst Blue, both AK Interactive paints in the same finish family.