RAL 9017 Traffic Black

🔥 Serious modelers standardise on colours they can trust. RAL 9017 Traffic Black is formulated for predictable coverage and true colour rendering, so every session ends with a finish you're proud to display.

RAL Classic is the colour-matching standard created in Germany in 1927 to give industry a single, unambiguous colour reference independent of brand or manufacturer. It remains the default specification for commercial vehicles, machinery, road signage and military equipment across Europe, which is why so many real-world trucks, tractors, trailers and armoured vehicles carry an official RAL code rather than a manufacturer-specific paint name. In the RAL Classic range, RAL 9017 Traffic Black falls within the white and black tones, used as the neutral extremes of the RAL Classic system.

RAL 9017 Traffic Black is an acrylic paint that is water-based and formulated for brush and airbrush use alike. Its pigment grind is tuned for 1:24 to 1:72 scale kits and 1:32/1:35 figures, giving smooth coverage without swamping raised detail, and it cleans up with water rather than solvents.

💡 Laboratory Application Tips

• Preparation (Primer): A Black or Grey Primer works best under this dark tone, reinforcing depth and helping the colour reach full density in fewer coats.
• Painting Technique: Thin slightly with water or acrylic thinner and apply in several light passes rather than one heavy coat; acrylics dry fast, so overlapping strokes should be kept light to avoid lifting the layer underneath.
• Finishing: Seal the finished colour with an acrylic-compatible Gloss, Satin or Matte varnish once fully cured, to protect the surface and even out the sheen before weathering or decals.

⚠️ Chromatic Fidelity Notes

Real Scale vs. Miniature: This formula is adjusted to counter the "scale effect," so light reflection on the miniature stays proportional to the real vehicle or object rather than looking artificially pale or dark.

Visual note: Product photos are for reference only. The full three-dimensional depth and true pigment brilliance only become visible once the model is painted and properly clearcoated.

👉 Ready to match it perfectly? Add RAL 9017 Traffic Black to your cart now — pair it with the matching primer and clearcoat from our range for a finish that goes the distance from bench to display case.