Black Ink vs Pewter Green
Where Black Ink belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Pewter Green is a Sherwin-Williams color. Black Ink reads as blue-grey, while Pewter Green reads as green-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Pewter Green (LRV 12) reflects noticeably more light than Black Ink (LRV 6), a difference of 6 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Black Ink runs blue while Pewter Green is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 18.3, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Ink vs Pewter Green in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Ink and Pewter Green in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Pewter Green reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Pewter Green gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Pewter Green reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Black Ink vs Pewter Green Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Ink on one side and Pewter Green on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Black Ink comparisons
See how Black Ink stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 6, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 6, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 6, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 6, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 6, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
With LRVs of 8 and 6, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Ink encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 6, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 6), so neither reads brighter in a room.