What this checker does
This checker compares a list of paints a scheme requires against a list of what you already own, and reports which are missing.
It is deliberately simple. The value is in doing the comparison before ordering rather than discovering a gap mid-build.
Enter your details
Before you paste a list
- Enter one paint per line in both boxes.
- Use the full name or code as it appears on the pot. The comparison is by name, so abbreviations will not match.
- Include the range as well as the colour — several manufacturers use the same colour names for different shades.
- A paint you own but which has dried out counts as missing. Check the pots rather than the list.
Manufacturer codes are unique and stable; colour names are neither. Several ranges have their own 'Olive Drab' and they are visibly different. Keeping a stock list by code rather than by name makes it comparable against any instruction sheet and removes most of the ambiguity.
How this calculator works
A set comparison, normalised:
Split both lists on line breaks
Normalise each entry for case and spacing
Missing = required entries not present in the owned setNormalising handles capitalisation and stray spaces. It does not handle abbreviations, alternative spellings or cross-range equivalents, so a paint listed one way in each box will show as missing.
Worked example: a scheme list
Paste the kit's paint list into the first box and your stock into the second. The checker reports how many are needed, how many you already hold, and lists the missing ones.
The useful discipline is keeping the stock list current — updating it when paints are bought and when pots dry out. A stock list that reflects the shelf turns this from a novelty into the thing that stops a build stalling for a fortnight waiting on one colour. A spreadsheet or notes file works; the checker only needs the text.
Common mistakes
- Listing by colour name alone. Names are reused across ranges with different results.
- Letting the stock list go stale. An inaccurate list is worse than none.
- Counting dried-out pots as stock. Check them physically.
- Ignoring cross-range equivalents. The checker matches text, not colours.
- Forgetting primer, varnish and thinner. They are consumables too.
Frequently asked questions
Can I substitute between ranges?
Often, using published cross-reference charts, though matches are approximate and the finish can differ. Mixing acrylic ranges on the same model usually works; mixing acrylic and enamel layers needs care about what dissolves what. Where an exact shade matters — a specific aircraft scheme — buying the named paint is safer.
How long does model paint last?
Years if sealed properly and kept from freezing, though acrylics thicken with age and can be revived with the manufacturer's thinner rather than water. Paints stored with a poorly seated lid dry out within months. Shaking a pot and hearing nothing move is the usual sign it has gone.
Should I keep a stock list?
For anyone with more than a few dozen pots, yes — it prevents buying duplicates and identifies gaps before a build starts. Photographing the paint rack is the low-effort version and works surprisingly well for spotting whether a colour is present.
What about mixed and custom colours?
Record the recipe alongside the entry — the constituent paints and the ratio. A custom colour with no recorded recipe is effectively a one-off, and running out mid-model is the situation the record exists to prevent.
Is what I enter stored?
No. Your lists are processed in your browser and never transmitted or retained. Closing the tab discards them.
Related tools
References
- Health and Safety Executive — safe storage and handling of paints and solvents
- GOV.UK — chemical labelling and household hazardous waste disposal
Sources are checked at publication and can change — how I choose and check references.