Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Ground Truth |
| SKU | 8006-11E |
| Hex | #757576 |
| RGB | 117, 117, 118 |
| HSL | 240°, 0%, 46% |
| LRV | 18 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Gray |
About Valspar Ground Truth
With an LRV of 18, Ground Truth 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.
Ground Truth 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 by brand
14 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. 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
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Ground Truth 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 #757576 in HSL space. Pair Ground Truth 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.
Valspar Ground Truth Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Ground Truth 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 Valspar 8006-11E directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Ground Truth
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Before the Storm (SW 9564), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.85). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Ground Truth without repainting risk. See the full Before the Storm swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Ground Truth
Behr's nearest match is Complex Gray (N140-5), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.4). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Ground Truth without repainting risk. See the full Complex Gray swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Ground Truth
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Ground Truth. The nearest is Gray Gardens (CSP-55) at ΔE 4.11 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 17 vs 18). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Gray Gardens swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Ground Truth
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Ground Truth is Pencilpoint (PPG0994-7) — very close at ΔE 2.82, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 17 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Pencilpoint swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Ground Truth
Glidden has no exact twin of Ground Truth. The nearest is Volcanic Ash (PPG1012-6) at ΔE 3.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 18). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Volcanic Ash swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Ground Truth
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Cliffside Gray (437-5DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.96). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 17 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Ground Truth without repainting risk. See the full Cliffside Gray swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Ground Truth
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Ground Truth. The nearest is Aviatrix (HGSW 3472) at ΔE 3.91 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 17 vs 18). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Aviatrix swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Ground Truth
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Dark Gray (DEGR60), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Ground Truth without repainting risk. See the full Dark Gray swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Ground Truth
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Ground Truth is Emu (0549) — very close at ΔE 3.2, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 18 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Emu swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Ground Truth
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Ocean Frigate (0555), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.98). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Ground Truth without repainting risk. See the full Ocean Frigate swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Ground Truth
At Rodda, the closest color to Ground Truth is Gloomy Weather (R016) — very close at ΔE 2.01, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Gloomy Weather swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Ground Truth
C2 Paint's nearest match is Jailhouse Rock (C2-950), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.37). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 17 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Ground Truth without repainting risk. See the full Jailhouse Rock swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Ground Truth
Kompozit's nearest match is Ocean Frigate (0555), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.98). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 18) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Ground Truth without repainting risk. See the full Ocean Frigate swatch →