No shortage of substitutes here, White Grey from Vallejo matches at 94 percent and 8 brands carry a strong same-finish near-match. Color-wise this is a muted, very light white leaning neutral. For modelling, drop to Pale Sand in the recesses and step up to Insignia White Fs 17875 on the edges, both AK Interactive paints. Bottom line: run out mid-project and another brand will get you within a shade.
Retarder equivalents, brand by brand
3 of the 11 brands with a mapped match get genuinely close to AK Interactive Retarder, though none is a clone. Brand by brand, the nearest colors are:
- Closest Vallejo equivalent: Vallejo White Grey, a swap nobody spots at arm's length (delta E 1.3).
- The P3 Paints pick: P3 Paints Morrow White, close enough that batch variation matters more (delta E 1.3).
- Nearest in the Scale75 catalog: Scale75 Hubris Grey, a swap nobody spots at arm's length (delta E 1.5).
- Best Humbrol option: Humbrol Light Grey, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.8).
- From Revell: Revell Light Grey (RAL 7035), close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.9).
- The Army Painter's closest color: The Army Painter Brigade Grey, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.4).
We checked the Lab numbers for a hidden catch and there is none: lightness and temperature both line up, so this swap is as safe as they come.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Vallejo
P3 Paints
Scale75
Humbrol
Revell
The Army Painter
Citadel
Tamiya
Monument Pro Acryl
Two Thin Coats
Green Stuff World
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Match difficulty
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to AK Interactive Retarder?
The closest same-finish match is Vallejo White Grey at 94% color similarity.
What color is Retarder?
Retarder is a very light muted white with a neutral cast (hex #DFDFDF).
What do I highlight and shade Retarder with?
Highlight Retarder toward Insignia White Fs 17875 and shade it down into Pale Sand, both AK Interactive paints in the same finish family.