Zen vs Hinting Blue
Zen is a PPG color while Hinting Blue comes from Sherwin-Williams. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. With LRVs of 69 and 68, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 0.7, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below, 5 simulated room previews show how each color reads at scale — real-room photos will be added as they become available.
Color Details
Zen vs Hinting Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Zen on one side and Hinting Blue 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 Zen comparisons
See how Zen stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 69, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Zen reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (69 vs 58) makes Zen the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 69 vs 27, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 55, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 44, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 69), opening up a space where Zen encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (69 vs 66) makes Zen the marginally brighter of the two.
A 5-point LRV gap (74 vs 69) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 69 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 45, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Zen reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.