Putnam Ivory vs Humble Yellow
Putnam Ivory (Benjamin Moore) and Humble Yellow (Jotun) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Putnam Ivory belongs to the beige family and Humble Yellow to the beige-yellow family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 58 vs 57 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Putnam Ivory leans red, Humble Yellow reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 2.9 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Putnam Ivory vs Humble Yellow in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Putnam Ivory and Humble Yellow are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Putnam Ivory vs Humble Yellow Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Putnam Ivory on one side and Humble Yellow 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 Putnam Ivory comparisons
See how Putnam Ivory stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
