Ink Well vs Gale Force
Ink Well (Dulux) and Gale Force (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 3-point LRV gap — 9 for Ink Well vs 6 for Gale Force — means Ink Well will open up a space more effectively. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.6 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.
Ink Well vs Gale Force in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Ink Well and Gale Force 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. Ink Well reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Ink Well has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Ink Well vs Gale Force Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ink Well on one side and Gale Force 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 Ink Well comparisons
See how Ink Well stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Ink Well encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 24 vs 9, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 9, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.