Attention to Detail: Colour Match Paint Dos and Don’ts

 

 

Getting the right colour match is key for any paint job, whether you’re freshening up a space, finishing a new build, or keeping a brand’s look consistent across different locations. Using paint samples ensures well-matched colours that enhance the appearance of spaces, making surfaces like walls and ceilings feel polished and professional. Slight mismatches can be surprisingly noticeable, particularly under different lighting conditions.

Following the right approach makes colour matching straightforward, reducing unnecessary repainting and ensures a cohesive finish that lasts. Whether painting around the home and garden, revamping a shopfront, or applying corporate colours across multiple sites, taking the time to get the shade right from the start will always pay off. It can also be the difference between a seamless, polished appearance and a mismatched, inconsistent result that detracts from the overall design of a space.

 

 

Use Professional Colour Matching Services

Modern spectrophotometers in paint stores scan and generate highly accurate matches for most colours. This technology eliminates guesswork and ensures consistency. Bringing a clean, flat sample will provide the best results, but if the surface is textured, glossy, or aged, adjustments may be necessary. Many colour-matching experts also manually refine formulations to achieve a closer match, ensuring that new paint blends seamlessly with the existing finish.

For large-scale projects, such as painting multiple rooms, commercial properties, or retail spaces, leveraging professional colour matching services can prevent costly inconsistencies. Many paint suppliers offer digital colour-matching tools that allow users to find the closest possible shade to an existing colour, making it easier to achieve a seamless transition between new and old paint applications.

Test Before Committing

Lighting conditions dramatically affect how colours appear on walls, ceilings, trim, and fixtures. Testing a sample in multiple areas and at different times of the day will highlight any changes in tone. Natural daylight, warm artificial lighting, and LED fixtures all interact differently with paint. Surfaces with different textures or materials can also influence how a colour appears once dried. Using test swatches and painted samples prevents surprises and helps ensure the selected shade looks perfect in all conditions.

When testing a colour, it is best to apply samples in multiple areas rather than relying on a single patch. For example, testing in both shaded and well-lit sections of a room can reveal whether a particular shade shifts in hue or tone under different conditions. This is especially important for exterior walls and surfaces like wood, where sunlight exposure can drastically alter colour perception.

Understand Undertones and Sheen

Undertones play a crucial role in how a colour is perceived. A neutral grey might contain subtle blue, green, or purple undertones, which become more pronounced in different lighting. Matching a colour by eye without considering undertones can lead to unexpected results. Additionally, paint sheen affects how light reflects off a surface. A glossy finish will make colours appear lighter, while a matte finish absorbs light, giving a slightly darker appearance. When matching existing paint, ensure both the colour and the finish align to achieve a uniform result.

Use Large Swatches

Small colour chips are not always reliable. Painting a large board with a paint sample sachet and positioning it around the space helps visualise how it will interact with furniture, flooring, and natural light. For exterior projects or large-scale painting jobs, testing in multiple locations is even more crucial, as sunlight, shade, and surrounding structures can all affect how the final colour appears.

A common mistake is relying solely on small paint swatches provided by suppliers, which may not accurately represent how the colour will look when covering a larger surface. Painting a section of the wall with a full-sized swatch allows for better judgment before committing to a specific shade.

Keep Records of Paint Brands and Formulas

Once the perfect shade is found, keeping a record of the exact brand, formula, and sheen prevents inconsistency in future touch-ups or expansions. Digital representations of colours are not always accurate, so having a physical reference is helpful. Whether repainting after wear and tear or matching colours across multiple rooms, detailed notes ensure continuity.

For businesses with multiple locations, maintaining a paint record is essential. Many brands have their own colour-matching tools, but having the specific paint formula documented ensures that any repainting efforts remain consistent with the original application.

Stick with the Same Paint Type

Different paint brands and product lines use unique formulations, meaning a direct match is rarely exact. Even if two paints, such as a masonry paint and a wood coating, appear similar, the underlying pigments and binders can affect how they dry and age over time. For best results, use the same manufacturer and product range when touching up or extending existing paintwork.

This is particularly important for projects requiring long-term durability, such as commercial properties, hotels, or office buildings where consistency in branding and design is key. Even within the same brand, formulations may vary slightly across different product ranges, so it is best to stick to the same line whenever possible. Or, use a multi-surface paint such as Zinsser‘s Allcoat range or Bradite‘s One Can paints to coat multiple surfaces from the same tin.

 

 

Don’t Skip Primer

Skipping primer can cause inconsistencies in the final colour, especially when painting over dark or uneven surfaces such as old interior walls, exterior masonry, or wood. Primer provides a uniform base, preventing the old colour, blocking stains, knots, etc, from influencing the new shade. It also improves paint adhesion, ensuring durability and a professional-looking finish, especially if painting uPVC windows and doors. This is particularly important when transitioning between drastically different colours or covering stains.

Never Assume All Paint Finishes Are the Same

Gloss, satin, eggshell, and matte finishes all reflect light differently, meaning the same colour in different finishes can look like completely separate shades. Mixing finishes within the same space can result in an unbalanced appearance. Ensuring that the finish matches the original paint is just as important as the colour itself.

Don’t Forget to Consider Surroundings

The colours of furnishings, flooring, and exterior elements can subtly alter how a paint colour appears. A shade that looks perfect in-store may look entirely different in a space with natural wood flooring, bright white trim, or coloured lighting. Testing the colour in its actual environment before committing to a full coat helps avoid costly repainting.

Avoid Mixing Old and New Batches Without Testing

Even when using the same brand and formula, slight variations can occur between paint batches. Testing a small section first ensures a seamless blend. For larger projects, mixing multiple batches together before application prevents noticeable shifts in shade from one wall to the next.

Don’t Expect a Perfect Match from a Different Paint Brand

Every manufacturer uses its own unique blend of pigments and base materials, meaning one brand’s version of a colour will not be identical to another’s. If an exact match is required, stick with the same brand and product line. If switching brands is unavoidable, working with a professional colour matcher can help refine the formulation to get as close as possible.

Colour names alone are not enough to guarantee an exact match, as different brands often use identical or similar names for entirely different shades. That’s why using standardised colour codes, such as RAL, British Standard (BS), or the Natural Colour System (NCS), ensures consistency regardless of the manufacturer or setting.

 

Colour matching is simpler than it seems when the right techniques are followed. By using modern colour-matching technology, testing samples in different lighting conditions, and understanding undertones and finishes, achieving a flawless, consistent look becomes effortless. Whether updating a single wall, refreshing your kitchen, or maintaining uniform branding across multiple locations, taking the time to match colours accurately prevents costly mistakes and ensures a high-quality finish. With paint colour samples from Rawlins, getting the perfect match is easier than ever.