how do i match paint color

How to Match Paint Colors

• Find Your Light. The lighting of a room plays a leading role in the game of color-matching your paint. ...
• Consider the Sheen. ...
• Take Advantage of Pro Tools. ...
• Become a Name-Dropper. ...
• Or Invest in Your Own Color-Matching Tools. ...
• Sample, Sample, Sample. ...

Full Answer

What is the best way to match a paint color?

“An easy way to match your existing paint color is to simply take a knife and peel off the top layer of paint,” says Scott Specker, owner of Five Star Painting in Suwanee and Alpharetta, GA. Don’t worry, there’s no need to dig a deep gash into your otherwise pristine drywall or to remove a large section.

How to match paint colors accurately?

• Brand to brand: Paint matching from one brand to another won’t work.
• Accuracy: Paint matching isn’t always 100 percent accurate.
• Touch up vs. ...
• Clean first: You’ll need to clean the wall before attempting to match the paint color, especially if you're using an app or taking photos. ...

More items...

How to match up paint colors for home interiors?

• METHOD 1: Eyeball It. ...
• METHOD 2: Paint Matching Apps. ...
• METHOD 3: Pull From a Fabric or Thread. ...
• METHOD 4: Take a Photo. ...
• METHOD 5: Compare to Paint Chips. ...
• METHOD 6: Enlist a Color Matcher. ...
• METHOD 7: Cut Your Own Sample. ...

How to compare paint colors across brands?

Use the color picker to compare and convert paint colors across brands or select a paint brand for dedicated paint brand matching.

How can I find out what paint color is on my wall?

Take the paint sample to the home center or a paint store. Most locations have a color-matching scanner that can closely reproduce the color of the chip. Patch and then paint over the chunk cut out for the color scanning. Paint the wall or areas requiring touchups as originally planned.

Can you match paint exactly?

If you're trying to find a paint that's the same color as an object, you can bring that object in with you when you go to buy paint. The staff at the paint store will then scan the item and come up with an exact or near-exact digital match to the color of the object.

How do you match paint without a sample?

Grab a spool of thread If you don't routinely sew, buy several different shades that seem close at your neighborhood crafts store. Once you have a range of spools, place them against your paint color and see which is the best match. Then, bring that spool to the paint store and ask the staff to match the color.

Is there an app that can match paint color?

Introducing Project Color ™ by The Home Depot – an app that allows you to find the perfect paint color for your interior or exterior paint project. Browse colors right from your phone.

How big of a paint chip do you need to color match?

one-inch squareYou'll need a chip that's at least one-inch square for the best results. At the paint store, staff will use their spectrophotometer to analyze the chip and match it to their brand's closest color.

How accurate is Home Depot color match?

Using the spectrophotometer, Home Depot can get at least a 90% accuracy on the color match.

Can Home Depot match paint from a picture?

Project Color also allows you to match a favorite color from a photo on your mobile device, or a photo you've just taken. You click on a color in the image and the app provides the closest paint or stain colors available at The Home Depot.

What happens if touch up paint doesn't match?

If you don't have a sample or the match is still not close enough, the only option left is to re-paint the whole wall. Or, you can take advantage of the situation and make a change to an entirely new color for a fresh look!

Who does the best paint matching?

Here are six promising paint match app picks:Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap Match.Paint My Place.Project Color by The Home Depot.Color Muse.Valspar Pinterest Analyzer.Nix Paint with the Nix Mini Color Sensor.

How do I match paint on my phone?

ColorSnap by Sherwin-Williams offers color matching from your phone's camera or photo library. Sherwin-Williams offers an app called ColorSnap Match, that allows you to upload an existing photo or take a new photo to find paint colors that match it.

Can you match paint from an iPhone picture?

On Your iPhone: Point and Paint ColorCapture Ben, a new iPhone and iPod Touch application, allows users to match any color in a photograph to one of Benjamin Moore's more than 3,300 paint colors.

How do I identify a color?

0:512:03How to Use a Color Picker to Select an Exact Color from an ImageYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBy holding shift and clicking on each with your images. Selected head over to the tool propertiesMoreBy holding shift and clicking on each with your images. Selected head over to the tool properties and snagit click on the color drop down menu. And there you'll find the eyedropper.

What happens if touch up paint doesn't match?

If you don't have a sample or the match is still not close enough, the only option left is to re-paint the whole wall. Or, you can take advantage of the situation and make a change to an entirely new color for a fresh look!

Can I match paint by taking a picture?

Sherwin-Williams offers an app called ColorSnap Match, that allows you to upload an existing photo or take a new photo to find paint colors that match it. There's also a virtual painting tool, and multiple ways to explore all the Sherwin-Williams paint collections.

Can Home Depot match paint from a picture?

Project Color also allows you to match a favorite color from a photo on your mobile device, or a photo you've just taken. You click on a color in the image and the app provides the closest paint or stain colors available at The Home Depot.

Are paint swatches accurate?

A: The basic answer is neither. If mixed properly, the paint color applied to a surface should remain true to the color swatch. However, there are environmental and psychological factors that play into changing what is “true” to “how something appears”.

How to match a yellow paint chip?

Want to match that pale yellow, bright blue, or stormy-sky-gray wall or furniture? Then head to your favorite paint store, and ga ther up a selection of paint chips close to the hue you are trying to match. Bring the chips home and hang them on the surface whose color you want to duplicate, then observe in multiple lights, including daylight and lamplight. Whichever chip matches most closely is the winner.

What paint companies have matching apps?

Many of the larger paint companies—including Behr and Sherwin-Williams —offer mobile apps to make paint matching a breeze. Each works a little differently, but the gist is the same: Download to your smartphone, snap a photo of the painted surface you want to match (in natural light, for best results), upload it to the app, and voila! You’ll get that manufacturer’s closest colors. Bonus: You’ll even be able to preview recommended accent colors and design the perfect palette from the comforts of your own home.

What happens when you pull out paint?

Over time, walls throughout the home accumulate dings, nail holes, even random spots where some not-so-temporary tape pulled away a chunk of paint. That’s when you pull out the spackling compound, putty knife, and touch-up paint.

How does isolating the color work?

By isolating the color, it blocks all sources of external, ambient lighting (which varies throughout the day) and uses its own consistent internal light to get a precise read. Give it a minute, and you’ll get an analysis of the color’s makeup.

Can you take a picture without a color app?

Even without using a color app, go ahead and take a picture with your phone (again, while the object or room is illuminated with natural light) and bring that photo to your favorite paint store. They’ll be able to match the color very closely with their in-store spectrophotometer.

Can you get a 100 percent match on paint?

Be aware, however, that because most of the big-name brands of paint do their best to avoid duplication by using proprietary formulations, you might not be able to get a 100-percent match, although you should be able to get close enough to fool just about any casual eye.

What is a colorimeter?

Expert Answer. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. A colorimeter is a device that "reads" the color on your wall and provides scientific data about the color, as well as which known paint colors are closest to what was just scanned. Thanks!

How to paint a sample of each color?

Paint a small section of each color on the wall if you’re still not sure. Most paint stores will sell you a small can of paint that you can use to paint a sample. If you can’t decide between 2 or 3 different shades, purchase a sample size of each. Paint a small swatch of each color onto the wall and look at them for a few days before making your final decision.

How to get a color match?

1. Take a picture of the original color before you go to the paint store. If you’re planning to pick up color samples from the paint store, take along a photo of the original paint. Pictures won’t give you an exact color match, but they can be helpful if you’re trying to remember the general hue.

Why is my paint darker than the actual color?

Over time, fingerprints, dust, and dirt can collect on the surface of an object or a wall, and this can make the paint color seem darker than it actually is. To make sure you're testing the actual color, wipe the paint down with a damp, soapy sponge, and allow it to dry completely before you try to match the color.

How to get a perfect match in paint?

Once the store has analyzed the color, dab a little of the paint onto a corner of the sample and let it dry to ensure it’s a perfect match. ...

How to correct color balance in a picture?

If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to wait a few hours for the light to change, try taking pictures with the flash on and off, or with the main light on, followed by lamplight. Holding up a true white piece of paper or cardstock in the picture can help your camera to automatically correct the color balance.

How much does a color scanner cost?

These color scanners are $65-$100 at most home stores and connect to your phone via Bluetooth.

How to Match Paint by Cutting a Sample

The best way to match paint is to take a sample of it into a paint store. This method requires you to cut out a small square of paint off your wall. All you need to do this is a utility knife.

How to Match Paint with Phone Apps

There’s an app for just about everything—including matching paint. Most mainstream paint manufacturers and some home improvement stores have downloadable apps for this purpose. However, if you don’t remember what brand you used in the first place, you will likely not get an exact match if you use an app from a different brand of paint.

How to Match Paint with a Photo

If you don’t want to fuss with a sample or download an app, and you really don’t mind if there's the slightest variation in color, then take photos. Simply clean the wall and take clear photos of it with your smartphone in the daylight and then again at night.

More Tips for Matching Paint Color

Color matching isn’t always easy. In a perfect world, you’d need to know the brand of paint, color name, and the sheen. Sometimes the answer is to eyeball it by painting a few sample colors that seem close enough. There are a few other important tips you need to consider before you even attempt to match a paint color:

How does ColorSnap work?

Here’s how it works… Take a photo of any room (or screenshot one you see online) and ColorSnap will work its magic. Instantly, you’ll see color matches for up to eight colors in the room. If you’d like to match a different color in the photo, simply drag the color circle around the photo.

Can you use ColorSnap to match a wall color?

You could also use ColorSnap to color match artwork or a wall color in your own home. Just snap a photo and ColorSnap to match it. Here’s a photo of Thrifty Decor Chick’s living room. I really love the neutral colors she uses throughout her home.

Is the color you see on screen the same as the color you see in real life?

Remember, the colors you see on screen are not always the colors you see in real life. But it’s the color on-screen that you’re attracted to so a little variation from the actual color is okay.

What is the difference between lightness and chromacity?

red, green, blue, yellow, etc) and the chromacity is the brightness, or how pure the color is, or conversely, how gray the color is. Learn more about methods to measure color at MyPerfectColor.

What is the difference between a colorimeter and a spectrophotometer?

A colorimeter or spectrophotometer will measure the colors and compare across the spectrum. A colorimeter is much more limited and usually only includes a few spots in the spectrum whereas a spectrophotometer will usually include the entire spectral curve. Some low end colorimeters will only provide RGB or Hex codes, ...

What is the standard for paint?

There are many different color systems, but the current standard for paint is the CIE Lab system. This defines color within a three dimensional color space with the three axes being lightness, hue and chromacity (saturation). The lightness measures the color between white and black, the hue is the color (eg. red, green, blue, yellow, etc) and the chromacity is the brightness, or how pure the color is, or conversely, how gray the color is. Learn more about methods to measure color at MyPerfectColor.

How to compare colors?

The most common method would be a visual color comparison by looking at two physical color samples side by side under a light source. Color is very relative, so you can compare colors in terms of the other color across dimensions such as hue, lightness and saturation (brightness).

How many colors are there in paint?

Paint brands create their own color collections. The visual color spectrum contains millions of colors and the largest paint color collections usually only contain a few thousand colors. While there may coincidentally be some overlap, usually it is quite rare to find the same exact color in another paint brand.

Why do people want to find the same color from another brand?

There are a lot of reasons why someone may want to find the same color from another brand. The color may no longer be available from the prior supplier, or the supplier may have gone out of business or was acquired, or there is no outlet nearby.

Is there a color that is similar to another brand?

Unfortunately, in our experience a color rarely has an exact equivalent in another brand. Not all brands offer the same collection of colors as they use different ingredients and product types, and brands typically just create their own color palettes independent of what other paint companies may offer. Even if the color collections contain thousands of colors, there are millions of possible colors so the likelihood of overlap is low. Sometimes color collections cover completely different areas of the color spectrum. For example, Pantone paint colors are used for printing and brand colors and are typically much brighter than you would find in Sherwin Williams paint colors which are much more subdued as they are typically used in people's home. Other times the color palette of one company may be very small such as RAL Paint Colors where the classic collection is fewer than 200 colors, so the closest color may be very far off.

How much latex paint is in a can?

However, in the can, the same latex paint contains only 20 to 30 percent solids for ease of application. How quickly the water leaves the film determines how good the final touch-up work can be.

How to slow down wicking paint?

You can slow down the amount of water lost through wicking by diluting the paint when using it for touchups. Diluting paint adds moisture, which slows the wicking rate and increases the time needed for the paint to set up. Dilute the paint by 5 to 10 percent with water for latex-based paint or mineral spirits for oil-based paint.

How to remove paint skin from a can?

It's easier to remove paint skin from a can stored upright. Dispose of hardened latex paint with your household garbage. Use hardening agents such as kitty litter, sawdust or products purchased at your local paint store to solidify large amounts of latex paint.

Does evaporation affect touch up?

Evaporation eliminates most of the moisture but generally does not affect the final touch-up job. Wicking refers to moisture absorbed into the substrate or surface being painted – which could be a previous layer of paint or even the drywall beneath it.

Can you touch up paint on a wall?

When touching up a wall, realize that the paint will wick at a different rate than the original top coat. Reproducing the exact wicking rates each time you paint is virtually impossible, but you can try to influence it.

Can you store paint in the attic?

Don't store paint in direct sunlight, inside a hot attic or garage, or next to something warm such as a water heater or furnace. Heat accelerates deterioration, and UV rays fade pigment. Don't store paint where freezing temperatures are possible. The freeze-thaw cycle will ruin latex paint.

Can you store paint upside down?

Some experts recommend storing paint cans upside-down, but this technique will cause the paint "skin" to form on the underside of the paint. The paint skin is impossible to completely separate from the paint in the mixing process, leaving undesirable chunks. It's easier to remove paint skin from a can stored upright.