CP
DUTCH BOY · 241-7DB

Dutch Boy Inky Blue#3B496D · LRV 7

Inky Blue reads as a blue / cool — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover the spec, what Dutch Boy 241-7DB actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

DUTCH BOY INKY BLUE
RGB 59, 73, 109 LRV 7

Color spec

Brand Dutch Boy
Name Inky Blue
SKU 241-7DB
Hex #3B496D
RGB 59, 73, 109
HSL 223°, 30%, 33%
LRV 7
Undertone blue / cool
Family Blue

About Dutch Boy Inky Blue

At LRV 7, Inky Blue 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. Its blue undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.

Inky Blue earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.

Closest matches at every US brand

13 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 blue from that brand.

SW 6538 · #3B496D · ΔE 0 · LRV 7
SW 6971 · #3C4C80 · ΔE 3.76 · LRV 8
SW 6818 · #3E4371 · ΔE 3.84 · LRV 6
SW 6531 · #284A70 · ΔE 5.36 · LRV 6
SW 6524 · #25476A · ΔE 5.82 · LRV 6

PPG / Glidden

2,132 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.76
All blue at PPG / Glidden →
PPG1168-7 · #3D496E · ΔE 0.76 · LRV 7
PPG1166-7 · #384874 · ΔE 1.98 · LRV 7
PPG1162-7 · #324B77 · ΔE 3.37 · LRV 7
PPG1169-7 · #464B6B · ΔE 3.43 · LRV 7
PPG1164-7 · #384B67 · ΔE 3.65 · LRV 7

Dunn-Edwards

2,298 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.78
All blue at Dunn-Edwards →
DET574 · #3B4A6C · ΔE 0.78 · LRV 7
DEA140 · #3C4378 · ΔE 4.26 · LRV 6
DE5888 · #414D62 · ΔE 5.41 · LRV 7
DEA190 · #484B62 · ΔE 5.56 · LRV 8
DEFD60 · #344A61 · ΔE 6.47 · LRV 7

Behr

5,644 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.88
All blue at Behr →
MQ5-14 · #3B496A · ΔE 0.88 · LRV 7
T11-19 · #3B476B · ΔE 0.89 · LRV 6
630F-7 · #394768 · ΔE 1.14 · LRV 6
PPU15-01 · #41496A · ΔE 2.15 · LRV 7
PPU15-1 · #41496A · ΔE 2.15 · LRV 7

C2 Paint

580 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.58
All blue at C2 Paint →
C2-774 · #3E4B67 · ΔE 2.58 · LRV 7
C2-775 · #43516E · ΔE 3.44 · LRV 8
C2-773 · #384056 · ΔE 5.59 · LRV 5
C2-741 · #414454 · ΔE 7.75 · LRV 6
C2-743 · #324A59 · ΔE 10.94 · LRV 6

Benjamin Moore

3,934 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.86
All blue at Benjamin Moore →
CC-966 · #40466D · ΔE 2.86 · LRV 8
826 · #414A62 · ΔE 4.02 · LRV 8
CC-870 · #414A62 · ΔE 4.02 · LRV 7
2063-20 · #254669 · ΔE 5.64 · LRV 7
2069-20 · #48445E · ΔE 7.37 · LRV 8

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.42
All blue at Valspar →
8003-47G · #404565 · ΔE 3.42 · LRV 6
4010-8 · #2A436A · ΔE 3.78 · LRV 5.5
P034 · #2A4763 · ΔE 6.41 · LRV 5.9
V110-6 · #234766 · ΔE 7.15 · LRV 5.8
V111-6 · #30495E · ΔE 8.19 · LRV 6.2

Kompozit

1,321 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.71
All blue at Kompozit →
0592 · #3A4A64 · ΔE 3.71 · LRV 7
1271 · #3F3F75 · ΔE 5.69 · LRV 6
0627 · #425267 · ΔE 6.57 · LRV 8
1250 · #4D456A · ΔE 7.57 · LRV 7
1257 · #4D416B · ΔE 8.52 · LRV 6

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.11
All blue at Magnolia Home →
JG-92 · #42526E · ΔE 4.11 · LRV 8
JG-91 · #385063 · ΔE 9.08 · LRV 7
JG-90 · #435462 · ΔE 10.33 · LRV 8
JG-87 · #445868 · ΔE 10.48 · LRV 9
JG-82 · #2D5662 · ΔE 15.98 · LRV 8

Diamond Vogel

1,386 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.51
All blue at Diamond Vogel →
0606 · #43487E · ΔE 4.51 · LRV 7
0599 · #344B83 · ΔE 4.66 · LRV 7
0620 · #404B61 · ΔE 4.79 · LRV 7
1271 · #4A477A · ΔE 5.78 · LRV 7
H055 · #484D61 · ΔE 6.08 · LRV 8

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 6.05
All blue at Backdrop →
BD-LC · #3F4458 · ΔE 6.05 · LRV 6
BD-WK · #3F546B · ΔE 7.07 · LRV 8
BD-AH · #3D423E · ΔE 18.79 · LRV 6
BD-NE · #3D4D3F · ΔE 24.49 · LRV 7
BD-IT · #5C4435 · ΔE 24.84 · LRV 7

Farrow & Ball

209 colors in deck · best ΔE 11.43
All blue at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 30 · #3F4D57 · ΔE 11.43 · LRV 7
NO. 294 · #484348 · ΔE 13.78 · LRV 6
NO. 31 · #45494C · ΔE 13.86 · LRV 7
NO. 254 · #53454F · ΔE 14.28 · LRV 7
NO. 57 · #454749 · ΔE 14.31 · LRV 6

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 13.62
All blue at Clare →
PNT100-DP-42 · #545E66 · ΔE 13.62 · LRV 11
PNT100-DP-55 · #515052 · ΔE 14.69 · LRV 8
PNT100-DP-77 · #604B56 · ΔE 16.21 · LRV 8
PNT100-DP-54 · #484745 · ΔE 17.04 · LRV 6
PNT100-MD-40 · #41656D · ΔE 18.48 · LRV 12

Similar Dutch Boy colors

closest in the Dutch Boy deck

The nearest shades to Inky Blue within Dutch Boy's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

239-7DB · LRV 7
242-6DB · LRV 7
238-7DB · LRV 7
240-7DB · LRV 6
141-7DB · LRV 8
338-6DB · LRV 8

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #3B496D in HSL space. Pair Inky Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#3B496D + #6D5F3B
TRIADIC
#3B496D · #6D3B49 · #496D3B
ANALOGOUS
#3B626D · #3B496D · #463B6D

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
8.9:1 AAA
Sample text on black
2.36:1 fail

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

Dutch Boy Inky Blue Equivalents at Other Brands

Matching Inky Blue from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Dutch Boy 241-7DB directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.

Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Inky Blue

The closest Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Inky Blue is Dignified (SW 6538). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). If Sherwin-Williams is your counter, order Dignified and you'll get the same color. See the full Dignified swatch →

PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Inky Blue

The closest PPG / Glidden equivalent of Inky Blue is Egyptian Violet (PPG1168-7). At ΔE 0.76 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). If PPG / Glidden is your counter, order Egyptian Violet and you'll get the same color. See the full Egyptian Violet swatch →

Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Inky Blue

The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Inky Blue is Jazz Age Blues (DET574). At ΔE 0.78 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Jazz Age Blues and you'll get the same color. See the full Jazz Age Blues swatch →

Behr Equivalent of Inky Blue

The closest Behr equivalent of Inky Blue is Bon Nuit (MQ5-14). At ΔE 0.88 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). If Behr is your counter, order Bon Nuit and you'll get the same color. See the full Bon Nuit swatch →

C2 Paint Equivalent of Inky Blue

At C2 Paint, the closest color to Inky Blue is Cordon Bleu (C2-774) — very close at ΔE 2.58, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cordon Bleu swatch →

Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Inky Blue

At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Inky Blue is Wizard (CC-966) — very close at ΔE 2.86, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Wizard swatch →

Valspar Equivalent of Inky Blue

At Valspar, the closest color to Inky Blue is Skyline (8003-47G) — very close at ΔE 3.42, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 6 vs 7) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Skyline swatch →

Kompozit Equivalent of Inky Blue

Kompozit has no exact twin of Inky Blue. The nearest is Quiet Peace (0592) at ΔE 3.71 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Quiet Peace swatch →

Magnolia Home Equivalent of Inky Blue

Magnolia Home has no exact twin of Inky Blue. The nearest is Silos District (JG-92) at ΔE 4.11 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Silos District swatch →

Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Inky Blue

Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Inky Blue. The nearest is Star-Studded (0620) at ΔE 4.79 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 7 vs 7). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Star-Studded swatch →

Backdrop Equivalent of Inky Blue

Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Inky Blue — the nearest deck color, Last Call (BD-LC), is clearly different (ΔE 6.05). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 241-7DB instead. See the full Last Call swatch →

Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Inky Blue

Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Inky Blue — the nearest deck color, Hague Blue (NO. 30), is clearly different (ΔE 11.43). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 241-7DB instead. See the full Hague Blue swatch →

Clare Equivalent of Inky Blue

Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Inky Blue — the nearest deck color, Blackest (PNT100-DP-55), is clearly different (ΔE 14.69). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Dutch Boy 241-7DB instead. See the full Blackest swatch →

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