Tips - Colour Matching

Tip

Some people put off painting repairs because they worry about matching an excising colour.  Others go ahead and repaint a wall or panel and are then disappointed because it comes out a slightly different shade to the rest of the paint work.

The best way to ensure a perfect colour match is the most obvious and most easily overlooked.  Simply write down the Impa Product Type and Colour used, and store this information in small print, just below the cornice in one corner of the room.  Colour matching is then easy because all good Impa paint suppliers maintain records of paint formulations going back for more years than the average home owner will need.

If you have to resort to visual colour matching then there are some tips:

  • Clean the surrounding areas before attempting a color match.A fine layer of dust or grime will give you a false impression of the colour to be matched.
  • Match finish for finish, i.e., match matt to matt and gloss to gloss.Gloss paint will generally look darker than the same colour in matt.
  • Compare the colour cards both in the shop and at home and make comparisons under both natural light and artificial light.This is important because the emission characteristics (e.g., colour and intensity) of individual fluorescent sources may produce different effects with different brands of paint.
  • Check the area to be painted for any base colour which might show through and distort the true colour.

Finally, bear in mind that colour can also be affected by the number of coats of paint applied.  If you apply only one coat to a new surface, whereas the adjacent surface had an undercoat and two top coats, you will find that the newly painted area appears lighter because the base, usually a light colour, will be showing through.  Even different application techniques can affect colour.  Brush applied paints may appear fractionally lighter than the same applied by roller or spray.  This is because light reflected from glass surface is more concentrated than that from a matt or uneven surface.  Generally, the safest thing to do is to paint sections or panels at a time so that fine variations will not be seen.

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