Black Tar vs Paper
Where Black Tar belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Paper is a Tikkurila color. Black Tar reads as grey, while Paper reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Paper (LRV 88) reflects noticeably more light than Black Tar (LRV 6), a difference of 83 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 71.5, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Tar vs Paper in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Tar and Paper in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Paper will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Black Tar would.
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. Paper reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Tar.
Color Details
Black Tar vs Paper Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Tar on one side and Paper 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 Tar comparisons
See how Black Tar stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
