Color spec
| Brand | Glidden |
| Name | Forest Black |
| SKU | 30YY 10/038 |
| Hex | #5B5752 |
| RGB | 91, 87, 82 |
| HSL | 33°, 5%, 34% |
| LRV | 10 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Gray |
About Glidden Forest Black
With an LRV of 10, Forest Black is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Forest Black works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches at every US brand
20 brands · top 5 each5 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 gray from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Portola Paints
Annie Sloan
Backdrop
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Glidden colors
closest in the Glidden deckThe nearest shades to Forest Black within Glidden's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #5B5752 in HSL space. Pair Forest Black with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Glidden Forest Black Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Forest Black 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 Glidden 30YY 10/038 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Forest Black
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Prelude (SW 9620), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.16). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Forest Black without repainting risk. See the full Prelude swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Forest Black
Behr's nearest match is Equestrian Leather (HDC-CL-24G), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.01). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Forest Black without repainting risk. See the full Equestrian Leather swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Forest Black
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Forest Black. The nearest is Ashwood Moss (1484) at ΔE 4.05 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Ashwood Moss swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Forest Black
At Valspar, the closest color to Forest Black is Sable Evening (5006-2C) — very close at ΔE 3.25, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9.9 vs 10) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Sable Evening swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Forest Black
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Forest Black is Undercover (PPG0998-7) — very close at ΔE 2.49, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Undercover swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Forest Black
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Forest Black is Ship's Anchor (437-6DB) — very close at ΔE 3.33, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Ship's Anchor swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Forest Black
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Forest Black is Peppercorn (HGSW 1491) — very close at ΔE 3.33, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Peppercorn swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Forest Black
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Forest Black is Chiaroscuro (DEBN78) — very close at ΔE 3, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Chiaroscuro swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Forest Black
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Forest Black is Conservatory (JG-158) — very close at ΔE 2.39, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Conservatory swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Forest Black
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Forest Black. The nearest is Reduced Green (NO. 313) at ΔE 4.92 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Reduced Green swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Forest Black
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Forest Black is Terra Pin (0571) — very close at ΔE 2.73, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Terra Pin swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Forest Black
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Forest Black is Smokescreen (0556) — very close at ΔE 2.92, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 10) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Smokescreen swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Forest Black
Rodda's nearest match is Caffe Americano (R036), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.77). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Forest Black without repainting risk. See the full Caffe Americano swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Forest Black
C2 Paint's nearest match is Muddy Waters (C2-869), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.54). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Forest Black without repainting risk. See the full Muddy Waters swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Forest Black
Clare has no exact twin of Forest Black. The nearest is Blackest (PNT100-DP-55) at ΔE 4.98 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 8 vs 10). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Blackest swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Forest Black
Portola Paints doesn't make a true equivalent of Forest Black — the nearest deck color, Wonderland (WONDERLAND), is clearly different (ΔE 8.98). For an exact match, any Portola Paints retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30YY 10/038 instead. See the full Wonderland swatch →
Annie Sloan Equivalent of Forest Black
Annie Sloan doesn't make a true equivalent of Forest Black — the nearest deck color, Rodmell (RODMELL), is clearly different (ΔE 10.58). For an exact match, any Annie Sloan retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30YY 10/038 instead. See the full Rodmell swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Forest Black
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Forest Black — the nearest deck color, We Three Kings (BD-WK), is clearly different (ΔE 15.27). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30YY 10/038 instead. See the full We Three Kings swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Forest Black
Rust-Oleum doesn't make a true equivalent of Forest Black — the nearest deck color, Rainforest Green (391445), is clearly different (ΔE 14.13). For an exact match, any Rust-Oleum retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30YY 10/038 instead. See the full Rainforest Green swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Forest Black
At Kompozit, the closest color to Forest Black is Smokescreen (0556) — very close at ΔE 2.92, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 10) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Smokescreen swatch →