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Cotton SW 9581
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Subtle yellow undertone
In CIELAB, Cotton sits at L* 93.0, a* -0.7, b* 5.2. Its hue angle is 98° and its chroma is 5.3, so it leans yellow only slightly — the undertone mostly shows next to whiter or grayer colors. It classifies as warm. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 43%.
LRV 83.1: very light
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 83.1, Cotton is lighter than 98% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Reflects most light. Works in dim rooms, north-facing spaces, ceilings and trim; can look stark in strong southern light.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Cotton
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier White | OC-37 | 0.56 | Practically identical | |
| Dune White | 968 | 0.56 | Practically identical | |
| Dune White | CC-70 | 0.56 | Practically identical |
Closest Behr match to Cotton
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silky White | PPU7-12 | 0.45 | Practically identical | |
| Arcade White | GR-W8 | 0.57 | Practically identical | |
| Arcade White | GR-W08 | 0.57 | Practically identical |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabaster | SW 7008 | 0.21 | Practically identical | |
| Cold Foam | SW 9504 | 0.51 | Practically identical | |
| Greek Villa | SW 7551 | 0.56 | Practically identical | |
| Shell White | SW 8917 | 0.96 | Practically identical | |
| Westhighland White | SW 7566 | 1.18 | Very close | |
| Marshmallow | SW 7001 | 1.27 | Very close |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Cheviot SW 9503 · lighter, LRV 88.7
- White Snow SW 9541 · lighter, LRV 90.3
- UltraWhite SW 9500 · lighter, LRV 93.5
- Glimmer SW 6476 · darker, LRV 78.4
- Rarified Air SW 6525 · darker, LRV 78.1
- White Mint SW 6441 · darker, LRV 78.4
Colors that go with Cotton
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Lady's Slipper SW 7139 · complementary (180°)
- Pinkish SW 7112 · analogous (−30°)
- Green Glimpse SW 9676 · analogous (+30°)
- Tibetan Sky SW 7134 · triadic (120°)
- Feathery Lilac SW 7141 · triadic (240°)
Cotton vs popular colors
- Alabaster (Sherwin-Williams SW 7008, ΔE 0.2) is about as light.
- Greek Villa (Sherwin-Williams SW 7551, ΔE 0.6) is about as light.
- Swiss Coffee (Benjamin Moore OC-45, ΔE 0.8) is about as light.