Valspar Emperor#40425A · LRV 6
Emperor reads as a blue / cool — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover the spec, what Valspar 8003-48G actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Emperor |
| SKU | 8003-48G |
| Hex | #40425A |
| RGB | 64, 66, 90 |
| HSL | 235°, 17%, 30% |
| LRV | 6 |
| Undertone | blue / cool |
| Family | Blue |
About Valspar Emperor
At LRV 6, Emperor 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.
Emperor 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.
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.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 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 blue from that brand.
Behr
PPG / Glidden
Backdrop
Benjamin Moore
Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Clare
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Emperor within Valspar'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 #40425A in HSL space. Pair Emperor 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.