RAL 580-4 vs Gentian
RAL 580-4 (RAL Effect) and Gentian (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. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 18 vs 18 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. ΔE 7.7 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 580-4 vs Gentian in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. RAL 580-4 and Gentian 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
RAL 580-4 vs Gentian Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 580-4 on one side and Gentian 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 RAL 580-4 comparisons
See how RAL 580-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where RAL 580-4 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 18, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 18, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 18, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 18), opening up a space where RAL 580-4 encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 18), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 18, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 18), opening up a space where RAL 580-4 encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 18), opening up a space where RAL 580-4 encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 18, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 18), opening up a space where RAL 580-4 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 18), opening up a space where RAL 580-4 encloses it.
RAL 580-4 reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 580-4 reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 18), opening up a space where RAL 580-4 encloses it.
RAL 580-4 reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 18), opening up a space where RAL 580-4 encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 18, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.