How to Match Colors When Reapplying Paint
Whether you’re painting over a newly repaired piece of drywall or repainting your entire living room with the same color as before, you want to perfectly match the paint colors. Most of us don’t remember the exact name, number, or brand of paint used on a given wall. Even if we do, there’s no guarantee that the color is still on the market. Fortunately, modern technology has made it easier than ever before to match colors when reapplying paint. If you’re planning on reapplying paint yourself, or hiring Raleigh house painters, here are some ways to get the color just right.
Take it to the Professionals
Going to a professional paint and hardware store is a tried and true method for color matching. However, advances in technology have made this process better and faster than ever before. In most cases, all you need to do is bring in a small sample of the desired color. This may mean removing a piece of a damaged wall. Anderson Painting contractors can help you do this. If you’re looking to match the color of a piece of furniture or carpet, grabbing a small sample might be difficult, but if it’s possible, you can bring these to a store as well. Places like Home Depot and Lowes have powerful computers that detect colors and spit out the proper information. You’ll have a perfect match in little time – and you can purchase your paint while you’re there.
Use Your Smartphone!
Those handy rectangles in most of our pockets are good for a lot more than status updates, face filters, and communication. Most major paint manufacturers like Sherwin-Williams (ColorSnap Visualizer) and Behr (ColorSmart) have developed color matching apps. These apps use a smartphone’s camera to take a picture of the desired color. Of course, lighting and shadows will affect your picture, so these apps let you select the exact area you want to match. For the best results, though, try to take your picture in the best lighting possible. This will minimize the gradient and potential for mismatching.
Once you’ve got your picture, the app will collect this data and find the closest color match made by that manufacturer. If you want to see how the color might look in a room, you can virtually paint sample rooms. This is a great way to test the color against another if you’re painting a room two colors. From there, you can purchase as much of that color as necessary.
Difficulties with Different Finishes
Matching colors is typically easier for flat finishes, especially if you attempt to match on your own. Glossy paints pose a challenge because they reflect much more light. It can be hard to pin down the actual color, especially using a picture. If you need to reapply glossy paint to a surface, your best bet is taking a sample of it to a paint store or consulting a Raleigh Painting company.
With apps like ColortSmart and ColorSnap Visualizer, matching paint colors is easier than ever. Of course, paint stores can still give you the help you need as well. Once you’ve found your colors, you want to make sure they’re applied evenly. Contact us at Anderson Painting to help you revitalize your home’s color!
