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CompositePaint
BENJAMIN MOORE · 2120-20

Benjamin Moore Black Iron#3A3C3E · LRV 6

Black Iron reads as a true neutral (no measurable hue) — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover the spec, what Benjamin Moore 2120-20 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

SEE IN A ROOM → CALCULATE PAINT NEEDED →
BENJAMIN MOORE BLACK IRON
RGB 58, 60, 62 LRV 6

Color spec

Brand Benjamin Moore
Name Black Iron
SKU 2120-20
Hex #3A3C3E
RGB 58, 60, 62
HSL 210°, 3%, 24%
LRV 6
Undertone true neutral (no measurable hue)
Family Black

About Benjamin Moore Black Iron

At LRV 6, Black Iron is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.

Black Iron earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Near-blacks like this are best as contrast — doors, trim, cabinets, window frames.

Kompozit alternative

The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.

KOMPOZIT
Black Licorice
SKU 0529 · #3A3B3B · LRV 4
ΔE 1.36 (near-perfect)
SHOP KOMPOZIT ON AMAZON →

Closest matches at every US brand

9 brands · top 5 each

5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all black from that brand.

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.68
All black at Valspar →
V120-3
#3A3C3D
Black Heron
ΔE 0.68 · LRV 4.5
8006-4G
#3C3E3C
Caviar
ΔE 2.79 · LRV 5
V123-3
#3C3E3C
Caviar
ΔE 2.79 · LRV 4.8
8004-1G
#3D3940
Black Currant
ΔE 5.41 · LRV 4
V125-6
#3D3940
Black Currant
ΔE 5.41 · LRV 4.3

Behr

4,699 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.22
All black at Behr →
HDC-MD-04
#3E3F41
Totally Black
ΔE 1.22 · LRV 5
MQ5-5
#3C3C3D
Limousine Leather
ΔE 1.25 · LRV 5
BLACK
#3D3D3E
Black
ΔE 1.32 · LRV 5
QE-64
#3C3D3D
Madison Avenue
ΔE 1.37 · LRV 5
N530-7
#363F41
Private Black
ΔE 3.85 · LRV 5

Dunn-Edwards

1,696 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.22
All black at Dunn-Edwards →
DE6350
#3E3F41
Dark Engine
ΔE 1.22 · LRV 5
DEA187
#3B3A3A
Black
ΔE 2.09 · LRV 4
DE6336
#414549
Stargazing
ΔE 3.2 · LRV 6
DEA181
#384543
Refined Green
ΔE 7.1 · LRV 6
DEA185
#343B4E
Old Mill
ΔE 8.9 · LRV 4

Sherwin-Williams

1,526 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.83
All black at Sherwin-Williams →
SW 6994
#373A3A
Greenblack
ΔE 1.83 · LRV 4
SW 6988
#3B373C
Bohemian Black
ΔE 4.77 · LRV 4
SW 7083
#443E40
Darkroom
ΔE 5.09 · LRV 5
SW 6279
#3A373E
Black Swan
ΔE 5.11 · LRV 4
SW 6216
#343B36
Jasper
ΔE 6 · LRV 4

PPG / Glidden

2,088 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.5
All black at PPG / Glidden →
1001-7
#414040
Black Magic
ΔE 2.5 · LRV 5
1011-7
#464544
Onyx
ΔE 3.91 · LRV 6
1013-7
#404149
Napoleon
ΔE 4.37 · LRV 5
FLLW36
#404149
Wright Midnight
ΔE 4.37 · LRV 5
14-05
#3D4645
Dark As Night
ΔE 5.48 · LRV 6

Farrow & Ball

132 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.92
All black at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 256
#3B3938
Pitch Black
ΔE 2.92 · LRV 4
NO. 57
#444546
Off-Black
ΔE 3.12 · LRV 6
NO. 31
#45484B
Railings
ΔE 4 · LRV 6
NO. 294
#494248
Paean Black
ΔE 6.9 · LRV 6
NO. 254
#50414C
Pelt
ΔE 11.47 · LRV 6

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.6
All black at Magnolia Home →
JG-05
#31343A
Blackboard
ΔE 3.6 · LRV 3
JG-97
#40464B
Arches
ΔE 3.9 · LRV 6
JG-144
#48474C
Fine Black
ΔE 4.94 · LRV 6
JG-150
#3F3632
Moments
ΔE 7.07 · LRV 4
JG-102
#4B3C49
Plum Suede
ΔE 11.7 · LRV 5

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.72
All black at Clare →
PNT100-DP-54
#484745
Blackish
ΔE 4.72 · LRV 6
PNT100-DP-55
#515052
Blackest
ΔE 7.17 · LRV 8
PNT100-DP-42
#545E66
Goodnight Moon
ΔE 11.99 · LRV 11
PNT100-DP-77
#604B56
Night Groove
ΔE 14.74 · LRV 8
PNT100-MD-40
#41656D
Deep Dive
ΔE 16.97 · LRV 12

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.96
All black at Backdrop →
BD-AH
#3D423E
After Hours
ΔE 4.96 · LRV 6
BD-LC
#3F4458
Last Call
ΔE 9.73 · LRV 6
BD-NE
#3D4D3F
North End
ΔE 12.73 · LRV 7
BD-WK
#3F546B
We Three Kings
ΔE 12.75 · LRV 8
BD-IT
#5C4435
It's a Date
ΔE 15.02 · LRV 7

Similar Benjamin Moore colors

closest in the Benjamin Moore deck

The nearest shades to Black Iron within Benjamin Moore's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

2119-20
Black Berry
LRV 6
2131-20
Midnight
LRV 6
2135-10
Blacktop
LRV 6
2133-20
Black Jack
LRV null
2118-20
Toucan Black
LRV 6
2129-20
Soot
LRV 6

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #3A3C3E in HSL space. Pair Black Iron with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#3A3C3E + #3E3C3A
TRIADIC
#3A3C3E · #3E3A3C · #3C3E3A
ANALOGOUS
#3A3E3E · #3A3C3E · #3A3A3E

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
11.08:1 AAA
Sample text on black
1.9:1 fail

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

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