Emperor's Purple is genuinely hard to match: no other brand has a same-finish equivalent close enough to swap, and the nearest color anywhere, Vallejo Lustful Purple at 91 percent, is a different finish. Color-wise this is a muted, mid-tone metallic silver leaning cool. If you need this exact color, buy the pot, since no other line reproduces it in the same finish.
Emperor's Purple equivalents and near misses
Fair warning: nothing matches Two Thin Coats Emperor's Purple cleanly. The options below are the least bad, and every one of them drifts.
Closest Vallejo equivalent: Vallejo Lustful Purple, a swap nobody spots at arm's length (delta E 1.8), but it is an opaque acrylic so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
The Army Painter's closest color: The Army Painter Violet Coven, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.8), but it is an opaque acrylic so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
Nearest in the Monument Pro Acryl catalog: Monument Pro Acryl Faded Plum, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 5.6), but it is an opaque acrylic so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
Best Citadel option: Citadel Kakophoni Purple, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 6.2), but it is an opaque acrylic so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
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
The Army Painter
Monument Pro Acryl
Citadel
AK Interactive
About this color
Color profile
Pairs well with
Try any paint in the scheme toolMatch difficulty
Found in 0 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Two Thin Coats Emperor's Purple?
No same-finish equivalent is close enough to call a straight swap. The nearest color overall is Vallejo Lustful Purple at 91%, in a different finish class.
What finish is Emperor's Purple?
Emperor's Purple is a metallic paint with a silver tone and a reflective finish. Because the shine comes from metal flake, a flat paint can match the color and still be wrong for the job, which is why cross-finish matches here are references rather than swaps.