Color spec
| Brand | PPG / Glidden |
| Name | Knight's Armor |
| SKU | PPG1011-7 |
| Hex | #3D3F3F |
| RGB | 61, 63, 63 |
| HSL | 180°, 2%, 24% |
| LRV | 6 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Black |
What Color Is Knight's Armor, Really?
Knight's Armor (PPG1011-7) is a near-black with just a whisper of cool in it. On paper its saturation is only 2 percent and its lightness sits low, which in plain terms means it reads as a true, clean black in almost every room, with the faintest gray-green coolness that keeps it from feeling flat or brownish. It is not a soft charcoal you can see through. At an LRV of 6 it soaks up light and holds its edge.
People reach for it because it is PPG's answer to Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black: a dependable, undertone-quiet black that behaves the same on a front door, a cabinet, or a whole feature wall. That reliability is the whole appeal.
It suits anyone who wants crisp contrast without a color cast sneaking in, from modern homes to traditional trim and doors.
With a saturation of just 2 percent, Knight's Armor is about as close to a pure neutral black as a paint gets. The hue technically lands in the cool range, so what little lean exists is a quiet gray-green coolness rather than blue, brown, or purple. In most rooms you will never name it as anything but black.
The faint coolness only surfaces in specific conditions: large unbroken areas, bright indirect daylight, and next to a warm cream or beige that makes the contrast obvious. Against a stark white it can look a touch softer and grayer than a warm black would.
To judge it honestly, tape a sample beside a true warm black and a true cool black. If Knight's Armor looks neutral between them with maybe a hair of cool, that is correct. Test it on more than one wall, because the lean is subtle enough to shift with the light.
Best Rooms and Uses for Knight's Armor
A color this dark, at LRV 6, works as a statement and a contrast tool rather than an all-over light. It is a natural for front doors, where it gives a clean, confident face without a color cast, and for exterior trim, shutters, and window sashes that need to frame the house.
Indoors it shines on cabinets, especially a lower run or an island paired with a lighter upper, and on built-ins, a fireplace surround, or a single feature wall. Painted on interior doors and trim it delivers sharp, graphic lines against pale walls.
You can wrap a whole small room in it for a dramatic study, powder room, or bedroom, but plan for good lighting and a bright trim to keep it from closing in. As a wall color it reads as intentional drama, not as a neutral backdrop, so use it where you want the darkness to be the point.
How Lighting Changes Knight's Armor
At an LRV of 6, Knight's Armor reflects very little light, so lighting changes its mood more than its color. It will read as black almost everywhere; what shifts is how heavy or how crisp it feels.
In north-facing rooms, which get cool, steady light, the color looks its densest and its slight coolness is easiest to notice. South-facing rooms flood it with warm light that can lift a faint sheen and make edges and trim pop against it. East light in the morning keeps it clean and true, while west rooms warm it slightly in the late afternoon.
Bulb choice matters. Warm 2700K bulbs take the edge off the coolness and make it feel softer and more classic. Cool 4000K or higher bulbs let the gray-green whisper show and keep it sharp. In dim rooms it can swallow the space, so pair it with good lighting or a bright trim white.
Most complaints about Knight's Armor are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Knight's Armor vs Similar Colors
Within PPG's deck, Knight's Armor sits among a tight cluster of near-blacks, and the differences are small but real. Black Magic (PPG1001-7) at LRV 5 is a touch darker and denser, so it reads as an even more absolute black with slightly less of the gray-green whisper; choose it when you want the darkest possible surface.
Starless Sky (PPG0995-7) at LRV 5 is also fractionally deeper and very close in tone, making it a good alternative if Knight's Armor looks a hair soft to you in bright light.
Phantom Mist (PPG1002-7) at LRV 6 shares the same lightness but leans warmer, with a slight brown cast in its hex, so it feels a little softer and cozier where Knight's Armor stays neutral. If you want your black to be truly undertone-quiet, Knight's Armor is the safer pick; if you want a hint of warmth, Phantom Mist is the move.
Colors That Go With Knight's Armor
Because Knight's Armor is a clean neutral black, it pairs easily with both warm and cool companions. For crisp trim and ceilings, Pure White (PPG1001-1) at LRV 88 gives you the brightest, most graphic contrast. If you want a softer, less stark frame, Antique White (PPG1015-2) at LRV 78 warms the pairing without going cream-heavy.
For a mid-tone second wall color or a large adjacent surface, Chinchilla (PPG1001-4) at LRV 38 is a quiet gray that keeps things calm, while Granite Gray (PPG1010-5) at LRV 21 steps closer to the black for a moody, tonal look.
For an accent with a little life, Mariner Blue (PPG1162-7) at LRV 8 reads as a deep navy against the black, and Forest Trail (PPG1129-7) at LRV 7 brings in a dark green. Warm wood tones and both brass and matte-black hardware sit comfortably with it.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint PPG / Glidden PPG1011-7 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar PPG / Glidden colors
closest in the PPG / Glidden deckThe nearest shades to Knight's Armor within PPG / 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 #3D3F3F in HSL space. Pair Knight's Armor 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.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Knight's Armor warm or cool?
Knight's Armor is a cool-leaning neutral black, but only barely. Its saturation is just 2 percent, so it reads as a clean, true black in almost every room. The slight lean is a quiet gray-green coolness rather than blue or brown, and it only shows in bright daylight or next to a warm cream. Most people simply see black.
Is Knight's Armor more gray or more black?
It is black, not gray. At an LRV of 6 it absorbs nearly all light and holds a solid, dark surface with crisp edges. A gray would look softer and let you see into it. Knight's Armor only hints at gray in its faint cool undertone, which appears in large areas under bright light, not in its overall depth.
What trim white goes with Knight's Armor?
Pure White (PPG1001-1) at LRV 88 is the strongest match for crisp, graphic contrast against Knight's Armor. If you want a warmer, less stark frame, Antique White (PPG1015-2) at LRV 78 softens the pairing. Both let the black read as intentional. Choose Pure White for a modern look and Antique White for a more traditional, cozy feel.
Does Knight's Armor work on cabinets and exteriors?
Yes. Its clean, undertone-quiet black makes it a reliable choice for kitchen islands, lower cabinets, and built-ins, especially paired with a lighter upper run. Outdoors it works well on front doors, shutters, window sashes, and trim, giving sharp contrast without a color cast sneaking in. Just use a durable exterior or cabinet-grade finish for those high-wear surfaces.
What does an LRV of 6 mean for Knight's Armor?
LRV, or light reflectance value, runs from 0 for pure black to 100 for pure white. At 6, Knight's Armor sits near the very bottom, so it reflects almost no light and reads as a true black. In practice that means it darkens a room, needs good lighting, and works best as a statement or contrast color rather than an all-over wall color.
How is Knight's Armor different from Black Magic?
Both are PPG near-blacks, but Black Magic (PPG1001-7) sits at LRV 5, a touch darker and denser than Knight's Armor at LRV 6. Black Magic reads as a more absolute, bottomless black with even less visible undertone, while Knight's Armor keeps a faint gray-green coolness. Pick Black Magic for the darkest possible surface and Knight's Armor for a hair more nuance.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Knight's Armor behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY KNIGHT'S ARMOR ON YOUR ROOM →Ask a Question
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