Titanium White
54 Titanium White paints from 18 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Titanium White isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Titanium White, and no two are quite the same. They pick different pigments, grind them differently and mix them to their own recipe — so two tubes with the same word on the label can look noticeably different once they are on the paper.
We measured all 54 of them from 18 brands and compared them the way a lab would, using a number called Delta E. It is just a measure of how far apart two colours look to the human eye. Under 2 and almost nobody can tell them apart; over 10 and most people would call them different colours.
Useful when your usual Titanium White is out of stock and you need the closest substitute, when you are deciding which brand to buy, or when a mix you got right last time will not come out the same again.
How far is each brand from the average?
Every brand's version measured against the average of all 54 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Atelier | Delta E 0.07 | Near-identical |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 0.09 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 0.13 | Near-identical |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 0.14 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 0.27 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 0.31 | Near-identical |
| Liquitex | Delta E 0.32 | Near-identical |
| Daniel Smith | Delta E 0.49 | Near-identical |
| Amsterdam | Delta E 0.54 | Near-identical |
| Lukas | Delta E 0.54 | Near-identical |
| Maimeri | Delta E 0.54 | Near-identical |
| Matisse | Delta E 0.54 | Near-identical |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 0.54 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 0.54 | Near-identical |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 0.54 | Near-identical |
| Gamblin | Delta E 0.72 | Near-identical |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 0.72 | Near-identical |
| Golden | Delta E 1.11 | Near-identical |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 153 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- AmsterdamvsLukasDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- AmsterdamvsMaimeriDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- AmsterdamvsMatisseDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- AmsterdamvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- AmsterdamvsSchminckeDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- AmsterdamvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- GoldenvsWilliamsburgDelta E 1.64Near-identical
- GoldenvsSchminckeDelta E 1.64Near-identical
- GoldenvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 1.64Near-identical
- GoldenvsMatisseDelta E 1.64Near-identical
- GoldenvsMaimeriDelta E 1.64Near-identical
- GoldenvsLukasDelta E 1.64Near-identical
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Maimeri
Amsterdam, Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Matisse, Nevskaya Palitra, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Nevskaya Palitra, Sennelier
Daler-Rowney
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Amsterdam, Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Matisse, Nevskaya Palitra, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Amsterdam, Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Matisse, Nevskaya Palitra, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Golden
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Titanium White. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Amsterdam · 2 paints
- Atelier · 3 paints
- Daler-Rowney · 6 paints
- Daniel Smith · 1 paint
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Golden · 8 paints
- Holbein · 2 paints
- Liquitex · 3 paints
- Lukas · 2 paints
- M. Graham · 2 paints
- Maimeri · 2 paints
- Matisse · 3 paints
- Nevskaya Palitra · 3 paints
- Royal Talens · 1 paint
- Schmincke · 3 paints
- Sennelier · 6 paints
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 5 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Titanium White we have measured
All 54 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Expert Series | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Amsterdam | Standard Series | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Atelier | A2 Lightfast | acrylic | #fafaf8 | 98.2, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Atelier | Free Flow | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Atelier | Interactive | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine Gouache | gouache | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Cryla Artists' Acrylic | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Oil Colors | oil | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6,PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Water Mixable Oil | oil | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6,PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | System3 | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daniel Smith | Extra Fine Watercolors | watercolor | #fcfcfc | 99.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Fluid | acrylic | #f9faf7 | 98.2, -0.7, 1.2 | PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #f7f7f5 | 97.2, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #f8f9f7 | 97.8, -0.7, 0.8 | PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #fafaf8 | 98.2, -0.7, 1.2 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | OPEN | acrylic | #f8f9f7 | 97.8, -0.7, 1.0 | PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #fcfcfc | 99.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | SoFlat | acrylic | #f7f7f5 | 97.3, -0.7, 1.1 | PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Heavy Body Acrylic | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Liquitex | Basics | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Liquitex | Professional Heavy Body | acrylic | #fffffd | 100.0, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Liquitex | Soft Body | acrylic | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Lukas | Berlin Water-Mixable Oil | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #fcfcfc | 99.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Classico | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW4, PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Puro | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Flow Formula | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Fluid | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Structure Formula | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Ladoga | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6, PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6, PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Sonnet | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | AKADEMIE Acrylic | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Norma Professional | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | PRIMAcryl | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Abstract Acrylic | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Gouache | gouache | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Rive Gauche | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6, PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #fcfcfc | 99.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artisan Water Mixable Oil | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Galeria | acrylic | #fcfcfa | 98.9, -0.3, 0.9 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Winton Oil Colour | oil | #ffffff | 100.0, -0.0, -0.0 | PW6 | Opaque | I |
