No shortage of substitutes here, Black from Humbrol matches at 100 percent and 7 brands carry a strong same-finish near-match. Color-wise this is a muted, very dark black leaning neutral. Within the Tamiya range it ladders cleanly, Black for the shadows and Semi Gloss Black for the highlights. In practice you can substitute across brands here without anyone noticing at arm's length.
Flat Black equivalents across other brands
The short answer: yes, Flat Black has a true equivalent. If the pot runs dry mid project, here is the closest color each brand offers.
Closest Humbrol equivalent: Humbrol Black, indistinguishable once dry (delta E 0.0).
- Monument Pro Acryl's closest color: Monument Pro Acryl Dark Neutral Grey, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.7).
- Nearest in the The Army Painter catalog: The Army Painter Night Sky, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.8).
- Best AK Interactive option: AK Interactive Tenebrous Grey, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.9).
- From Citadel: Citadel Corvus Black, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.3).
- Scale75's closest color: Scale75 Black, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.9).
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
Humbrol
Monument Pro Acryl
Dark Neutral Grey
Black Brown
Dark Green Brown
Black Green
Dark Jade
Blue Black
Petroleum Brown
Dark Plum
Slate Grey
Sepia
Dark Emerald
Drab Brown
Mahogany
Dark Silver
Brown Grey Wash
Transparent Brown
Magnesium
Dark Bronze
The Army Painter
AK Interactive
Citadel
Corvus Black
Corvus Black
Nuln Oil
Leadbelcher
Leadbelcher
Drakenhof Nightshade
Runelord Brass
Balthasar Gold
Balthasar Gold
Scale75
Revell
Vallejo
P3 Paints
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 Tamiya Flat Black?
The closest same-finish match is Humbrol Black at 100% color similarity.
Is there a The Army Painter equivalent of Flat Black?
Yes. The closest The Army Painter option is Night Sky at 86%, a same-finish match.
What color is Flat Black?
Flat Black is a very dark muted black with a neutral cast (hex #1A1A1A).
What do I highlight and shade Flat Black with?
Highlight Flat Black toward Semi Gloss Black and shade it down into Black, both Tamiya paints in the same finish family.