Universal Black (BM 2118-10)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Universal Black (BM 2118-10) is a very deep, neutral black from Benjamin Moore: LRV 5.3, so it reflects about 5 percent of the light that hits it.
Colors that go with Universal Black
Three Benjamin Moore colors picked for Universal Black by this site's color math: a trim white, a quiet contrast from another family, a dark accent. Benjamin Moore did not choose these pairings.
Closest match in every other brand
Each brand's closest color to Universal Black, ranked by CIEDE2000 (deltaE): under 1.0 is indistinguishable, 1.0 to 2.3 very close, 2.3 to 5 noticeably different, over 5 clearly different.
| Brand | Closest color | Code | LRV | deltaE | How close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Black Magic | SW 6991 | 3 | 1.0 | indistinguishable |
| Behr | Raven Black | PPF-59 | 4.7 | 3.0 | noticeably different |
| Valspar | Dark Kettle Black | 4011-2 | 5 | 4.1 | noticeably different |
| PPG Paints | Black Magic | 1001-7 | 5 | 4.0 | noticeably different |
Lighter and darker in Benjamin Moore
The Benjamin Moore black colors nearest to Universal Black (LRV 5.3) by LRV.
Lighter than Universal Black
Darker than Universal Black
Color data
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
|---|---|
| Color code | 2118-10 |
| Hex | #353435 |
| RGB | 53, 52, 53 |
| HSL | 300°, 1%, 21% |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 5.3 |
| Lab L*, a*, b* | 21.8, 0.7, -0.5 |
| Undertone | Neutral |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Color family | Black |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Universal Black (BM 2118-10), published as #353435
#272C33
#433C35
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
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Common questions
- What is the LRV of Universal Black (BM 2118-10)?
- Universal Black has an LRV of 5.3. LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) and measures the share of light a surface reflects, so Universal Black is a very deep color.
- What is the closest match to Universal Black in another brand?
- Black Magic (SW 6991) from Sherwin-Williams, at a deltaE of 1.0 (indistinguishable).
- Is Universal Black warm or cool?
- Benjamin Moore lists Universal Black as neutral, with a Neutral undertone. Its Lab b* value is -0.5; a higher b* is warmer and yellower, a lower one cooler and bluer.
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.