RAL 120-3 vs Cotton White
Where RAL 120-3 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Cotton White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, RAL 120-3 belongs to the beige-greige family and Cotton White to the beige-white family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (85 vs 87), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. At ΔE 2.8, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 120-3 vs Cotton White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. RAL 120-3 and Cotton White 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
RAL 120-3 vs Cotton White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 120-3 on one side and Cotton White 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 120-3 comparisons
See how RAL 120-3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 85 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 58, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 27, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 55, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 44, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 85 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 85 vs 66, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (85 vs 74) makes RAL 120-3 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 85 vs 12, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 8, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 68, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 12, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 45, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.