RAL 820-1 vs Gray Screen
RAL 820-1 (RAL Effect) and Gray Screen (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. RAL 820-1 reads as blue-grey, while Gray Screen reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 57 vs 59 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 1.3 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 820-1 vs Gray Screen in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. RAL 820-1 and Gray Screen 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
RAL 820-1 vs Gray Screen Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 820-1 on one side and Gray Screen 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 820-1 comparisons
See how RAL 820-1 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 57), opening up a space where RAL 820-1 encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (57 vs 52) makes RAL 820-1 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 30, RAL 820-1 is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (60 vs 57) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 57, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
RAL 820-1 reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 57 vs 43, RAL 820-1 is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 57 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
RAL 820-1 reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 57, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 57), opening up a space where RAL 820-1 encloses it.
RAL 820-1 reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
RAL 820-1 reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 820-1 reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
RAL 820-1 reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 57 vs 31, RAL 820-1 is decisively the brighter choice.