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Brands · answered by Fini

What's the closest Dulux match to Paint & Paper Library Squid Ink?

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Quick answer

The closest Dulux match to Paint & Paper Library Squid Ink is Smokey Slate, at ΔE 3.6 — close but not exact. Winters Sky is the runner-up at ΔE 4.2.

There's no perfect Dulux twin for Squid Ink, but the nearest you'll get is Dulux Smokey Slate (LRV 12.3) at a ΔE of 3.6. That's a noticeable-but-acceptable difference — close enough that most people wouldn't clock it on a wall, though a paint matcher with the two chips side by side would. The runner-up is Dulux Winters Sky (LRV 9.8) at ΔE 4.2, which reads a touch deeper and slightly cooler.

For context: a ΔE under 1 is imperceptible and under 2.5 is what I'd call a very close match. At 3.6, Smokey Slate isn't in that bracket — it's a *good* match, not a dead ringer. So manage your expectations, mate. If you're touching up an existing Squid Ink wall, don't bank on either Dulux colour blending invisibly into the old coat. For touch-ups, always go back to the original Paint & Paper Library tin if you can.

Where these Dulux alternatives earn their keep is on a fresh job — a new room, or a whole repaint — where you want that moody, inky blue-grey character but prefer Dulux's availability and price point. Both Smokey Slate and Winters Sky deliver that smoky, slightly green-leaning depth that makes Squid Ink so good in north-facing rooms and hallways.

One thing to watch: deep colours like these eat light, and the small LRV gap between them (12.3 vs 9.8) means Winters Sky will feel a shade closer to true dark. In a gloomy room, Smokey Slate gives you a hair more bounce.

My advice — order sample pots of both Dulux options and a Squid Ink sample, paint big patches, and live with them across a full day. Colour matching by numbers gets you to the shortlist; your own eye in your own light settles it. Brush the patches on lining paper so you can move them between walls before committing.

Colours from the answer

LRV 10.8
Paint & Paper Library
Squid Ink
LRV 12.3
Dulux
Smokey Slate
LRV 9.8
Dulux
Winters Sky

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