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Musou Black Color (100 ml)
The World's Blackest Acrylic Paint
Musou Black Color is one of the blackest paints available to the public. This water-based acrylic paint absorbs visible light extremely effectively, creating an exceptionally deep, ultra-matte black surface on solid objects. Contours, reflections and depth almost completely disappear — an effect that ordinary black paints cannot achieve.
✓ 99.4% light absorption
Extremely low visible reflectance — for an exceptionally deep, ultra-matte black that makes objects appear flat and almost two-dimensional.
✓ Water-based acrylic paint
Low-odor, easy to work with and thinnable with water. Ideal for application with brush, airbrush or spray gun on solid surfaces.
✓ For solid objects
Perfect for models, miniatures, props, optics, art objects, prototypes and anywhere stray light and reflections need to be minimized.
✓ Made in Japan
Engineered for maximum visible light absorption through special pigments and an especially fine, roughened matte structure of the dried surface.
Why Musou Black Color?
Ordinary black paints, matte varnishes or primers look dark in many applications but still reflect a visible portion of incoming light. As a result, edges, curves and surface structures remain recognizable.
Musou Black Color was developed to absorb visible light extremely effectively. The dried surface forms a fine, micro-roughened matte structure that traps incoming light instead of reflecting it.
The result is a paint with 99.4% absorption in the visible range. In practice, painted objects appear significantly flatter, darker and almost contourless — a "hole in space" effect that conventional blacks cannot create.
How Black Is 99.4% Light Absorption?
The difference between 95%, 99% and 99.4% light absorption looks small on paper, but visually it is dramatic. At near-complete absorption, the eye loses all reference points for shape and depth.
In exposure comparisons, a surface painted with Musou Black stays deep black, while other black objects, housings or primers visibly lighten and reveal their form.
Key Benefits
- One of the blackest acrylic paints for visible light available to the public
- 99.4% absorption in the visible light range
- Extremely low visible reflectance for an ultra-matte finish
- Water-based, low-odor and easy to work with
- Can be applied with brush, airbrush or spray gun
- Ideal for models, miniatures and prototypes
- Reduces stray light and reflections on optics and housings
- Strong visual impact for art, photography and exhibition objects
- Creates a very deep, nearly contourless black surface
- Can significantly outperform many ordinary black paints and matte varnishes
- Especially effective for visible light and visual applications
- Made in Japan
Product Videos
Application Areas
Musou Black Color is especially suited to applications where visible light must be controlled and reflections on solid surfaces minimized. Expand each area to learn more:
🧩 Models & Miniatures
In model and diorama building, Musou Black creates extremely deep shadows and makes recesses, seams and cavities visually disappear. Details therefore stand out more strongly.
Especially with spaceships, vehicles, architectural models or sci-fi sets, it produces a realistic "depth of space" effect that cannot be achieved with normal model black.
🔭 Optics, Telescopes & Baffles
On optical assemblies, Musou Black reduces reflections on inner walls, baffles and tubes. Stray light is effectively absorbed, improving contrast and image quality.
For direct contact with sensitive sensors or in cleanliness-critical systems, check in advance whether a painted surface is suitable.
📷 Photography & Product Photography
Painted props, backgrounds and mounts stay very dark even under studio lighting and produce almost no reflections. This is especially helpful with glossy products, jewelry or technical equipment.
For macro and product shots, the low reflectance ensures a clean, distraction-free black area of the image.
🎨 Art & Visual Effects
Artists use Musou Black to make surfaces, shapes or objects visually disappear. Its extreme blackness creates a powerful "void" effect.
In installations involving light, shadow, spatial depth or optical illusions, the paint can have a particularly striking impact.
🚗 Automotive Detailing & Accents
For interior accents, trim, covers or design elements, Musou Black creates an extremely matte, glare-free black.
Not recommended for permanently weather-exposed exterior or heavily stressed vehicle surfaces — the paint is optimized for interior and display use.
🎭 Stage, Props & Event Design
Props, frames and solid stage elements can be coated with Musou Black to reach an extremely deep black, highlighting objects or making backgrounds disappear.
Compared with ordinary stage black, a considerably deeper black effect can be achieved.
🔬 Laboratory & Research
In laboratories, Musou Black can be used for light control, shielding and reflection reduction on solid components.
For applications in close proximity to sensitive sensors, suitability should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
🏛 Museums, Exhibitions & Display Cases
Painted plinths, mounts and display-case backgrounds visually isolate exhibits and make the background nearly disappear.
The paint is suitable for presentation walls, object staging and dark exhibition environments.
🛠 Prototyping & Design
In prototyping, Musou Black produces a uniform, reference-free black surface — ideal for assessing form and volume without distracting reflections.
It also offers an impressive presentation option for design studies, samples and concept models.
Reflectance comparison across the Musou Black range
Click a diagram to enlarge.
Musou Black Color Compared with Other Musou Black Materials
Depending on the application, different Musou Black products are best suited. The overview below helps with the selection:
| Application | Recommended Product | Why? |
| Solid objects, models, optics | Musou Black Color | Easy application with brush or airbrush on solid shapes |
| Large textile surfaces | KIWAMI Fabric | Large-area fabric with an extremely black visual effect |
| Near-Infrared / LiDAR | IR Flock Sheet | Specifically developed for NIR absorption |
| Sensor environments & internal optics | Fineshut SP | Fiber-free surface for sensitive assemblies |
Technical Specifications
| Product | Musou Black Paint / Musou Black Color (100 ml) |
| Product type | Liquid, water-based acrylic paint |
| Ingredients | Synthetic resin (acrylic), pigments, antifungal agent, water |
| Light absorption (visible) | 99.4% |
| Total reflectance (550 nm) | 0.6% |
| Total reflectance (950 nm) | 2.0% |
| Total reflectance (1500 nm) | 10.7% |
| Gloss 20° (JIS Z 8741) | Brush 0.00 / Airbrush 0.03 |
| Gloss 60° (JIS Z 8741) | Brush 0.17 / Airbrush 0.03 |
| Gloss 85° (JIS Z 8741) | Brush 3.3 / Airbrush 0.10 |
| Surface resistivity | Insulating (brush applied) |
| Density | 1.1 g/cm³ (liquid) |
| Finish | Ultra-matte, uniform even on complex geometries |
| Application | Brush & airbrush, air-dry, thinnable with water |
| Odor | Low-odor, formaldehyde-free |
| Touch / water resistance | Not resistant – handle the surface with care |
| Available sizes | 100 mL / 1 L / 15 L |
| Compliance | RoHS compliant |
| Infrared applications | Not recommended; use IR Flock Sheet instead |
| Origin | Made in Japan |
Important: Optimized for Visible Light
Musou Black Color is specialized for visible light and is not the best choice for projects in the infrared or near-infrared range. For IR/NIR applications, we recommend the IR Flock Sheet.
The paint is also not intended for permanent outdoor use or heavily stressed automotive surfaces. It performs best on solid objects in controlled indoor and display environments.
Handling, Application & Care
For an optimal result, the substrate should be clean, dust-free and ideally primed. Apply the paint in several thin coats and allow each coat to dry sufficiently.
The dried, ultra-matte surface is sensitive to pressure, abrasion and moisture. Touching it can compress the matte structure and visibly reduce light absorption. Handle painted surfaces as touch-free as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Musou Black really one of the blackest paints?
Musou Black Color achieves 99.4% visible light absorption and is one of the blackest acrylic paints available to the public.
How is Musou Black best applied?
The paint can be applied with brush, airbrush or spray gun. For an optimal, even result, several thin coats on a clean, ideally primed surface are recommended.
Can I thin the paint?
Yes. Musou Black is water-based and can be thinned with water, especially for airbrush application.
Is Musou Black suitable for infrared?
No. Musou Black Color is specialized for visible light. For infrared or near-infrared applications, we recommend the IR Flock Sheet.
Can I use the paint outdoors?
The paint is not intended for permanent outdoor use or heavily stressed automotive surfaces. It is best suited to solid objects in indoor and display environments.
Why does the dried surface look so extremely black?
The dried surface forms a fine, micro-roughened matte structure that traps incoming light instead of reflecting it. This makes reflections and contours almost completely disappear.
Do I need to protect the surface?
Pressure, abrasion and moisture can affect the matte structure and reduce light absorption. Therefore, handle painted surfaces as free of touch and pressure as possible.
Maximum Visible Blackness for Professional Light Control
Musou Black Color combines 99.4% visible light absorption with an ultra-matte finish on solid objects. This creates one of the deepest black surfaces that can be applied by brush or airbrush — ideal for models, optics, art, photography and professional light control.
* When viewed by the naked eye, each person's perception of "blackness" may differ depending on the viewer, lighting and environment. The stated reflectance values are based on the industry-standard AOI 8° index.
Documents & Safety Data
Important: We provide the English Safety Data Sheets (SDS) as well as the REACH & RoHS test reports. The following documents are available for download:
The diagrams below compare the reflectance of all Musou Black materials – on the left in the visible-light range, on the right across the full 250–2500 nm range from ultraviolet to near-infrared.
* When viewed by the naked eye, each person's perception of "blackness" may differ depending on the lighting environment and other conditions.
Total reflectance values of our materials are based on the industry-standard AOI 8° index. Total reflectance is the measurement result of combining both diffuse reflection and specular reflection measurements. AOI 8° means that the light is incident at an angle of 8° from the normal.
For example, based on this index, our "Foam" series consistently absorbs light from ultraviolet to near-infrared light ranges. This performance is achieved by the uneven structure derived from the foaming process and the composition of carbon atoms blended into the resin.
We also offer a variety of fabrics. Our entry-level “VL Flock Sheet” is cost-effective and provides strong light-absorption performance in the visible light range. In contrast, our “IR Flock Sheet” provides improved ultraviolet and excellent infrared light-absorption performance, which are the weak points of the entry-level VL Flock Sheet. Our premium fabrics, Musou Black Fabric FR and Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI, are our blackest products and have the best visible-light absorbing performances. The FR variant is treated to be fire-resistant and is great for indoor use. Meanwhile, our flagship, Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI, is the World’s Blackest Fabric in the visible-light range.
Musou Black Paint's light-absorption performance will vary depending on the painting method, so please keep that in mind when applying. For best results, please apply with an air-brush.





