How to Match a Paint Color (2024)

FAQs

How to Match a Paint Color? ›

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.

"Simply remove the cover and use a utility knife to gently cut out a small piece of dried paint," says Sara McLean, color expert and stylist at Dunn-Edwards. "Bring this color chip into a paint store, which will have the technology to determine the exact color match."

When you need a perfect match for an already-painted wall, collect a sample to take to the paint store. Using a sharp utility blade, score a small square on a section of painted drywall that's not too terribly conspicuous. You'll need a chip that's at least one-inch square for the best results.

Paint Color Matching App: ColorSnap® Paint Color App - Sherwin-Williams.

Match complementary colors.

When you place them next to each other, they help each other stand out and the combination looks appealing. Complementary colors of the same brightness and hue will always work well together. Popular complementary combinations include blue and orange, purple and yellow, and green and pink.

Almost every major brand of paint has a free app to help you nail a shade you've forgotten the name of. It usually works like this: Take a picture of your existing color and upload it for analysis. The app will identify the hue and find the closest shade in the manufacturer's palette.

Typically, spectrophotometers are 90% accurate. That is hard to visually describe, but essentially some toner in the color is going to be missing or perhaps too present. The resulting color is too red, or too green, or too dark, etc.

If you need to do the same, you'll need a chip that's at least one-inch for the best results. They will use their spectrophotometer to analyze the chip and match it to their brand's closest color. Keep in mind the key word here is CLOSEST, so there is a chance it won't be a perfect match.

Who has the best color match for paint? ›

Here, Sherwin Williams is guesswork. Our best paint matcher, believe it or not, is Home Depot. They have a spectrometer (just guessing that's what it is) they put the sample under and it tells them how much of what to put in.

So I drove over with my paint colours, held up the paint sample I had recommended and it WAS wrong. That's because the painter had it colour matched with a cheaper paint and it was not a good match. So yes, this error can definitely happen if you buy paint from a brand that is NOT the same as your paint chip.

Download a paint-matching app if you can't take a sample.

Most major paint brands have their own apps for matching paint colors, including Sherwin-Williams, BEHR, Glidden, and Valspar. Visit the app store on your smartphone and choose an app that will scan your wall color and provide you with a color match.

FindPaintColor is a paint color matching app that finds the best-match paint colors from thousands available from major paint vendors, by analyzing a photo of your unknown color with a specified white color chip available free from your paint dealer.

Peel the painted drywall paper from the wall while trying not to damage the drywall itself. Once you get your sample, take it to your local paint store or a big-box retailer like The Home Depot or Lowe's, and they will match the color using a spectrophotometer.

Complementary. Two colors that are on opposite sides of the color wheel. This combination provides a high contrast and high impact color combination – together, these colors will appear brighter and more prominent.

For body shops, this means that paint matching must be a top priority. While you may have a good idea of the base color of the vehicle, matching that color identically virtually impossible without the use of modern technology. As such, spectrophotometers are essential to pinpoint the perfect color match.