Gray Screen vs Passive
Gray Screen and Passive come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 59 vs 60 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.1 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gray Screen vs Passive in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Gray Screen and Passive 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.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. 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
Gray Screen vs Passive Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gray Screen on one side and Passive 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 Gray Screen comparisons
See how Gray Screen stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 59), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 83 vs 59, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 6, Gray Screen is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Screen reads slightly lighter (LRV 59 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Gray Screen reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (59 vs 52) makes Gray Screen the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 60 and 59, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 59 vs 58), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 59 vs 27, Gray Screen is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Screen reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Gray Screen reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (59 vs 55) makes Gray Screen the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 59 vs 13, Gray Screen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 44, Gray Screen is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 59), opening up a space where Gray Screen encloses it.
Gray Screen reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (66 vs 59) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 59, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 59, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Screen reads slightly lighter (LRV 59 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 59 vs 12, Gray Screen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 8, Gray Screen is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (68 vs 59) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Gray Screen reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 59 vs 12, Gray Screen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 45, Gray Screen is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Screen reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.