A gift to my readers new and old, featuring colors from Dunn-Edwards’s Perfect Palette® and showcasing colors to go with Pantone’s 2012 color of the year, Tangerine Tango. Enjoy this winter color palette!
Merry Christmas to all – Christians and Pagans alike and Happy Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa as well.
Lori, this is totally gorgeous and packed with useable information. As you know from our years of color talk, I am over the moon to see you say that mixing warm and cool is “essential” to one’s success. Looking forward to seeing more of these in the New Year!!
This is great, but I’m wondering how you match up the colors. I prefer using BM colors since there are so many to choose from, but I’m now getting lots of referrals from a paint contractor who only uses S-W. Other than eye-balling it, do you know how I can take my fave BM colors and find the closest match in S-W? The contractor doesn’t want to fool around with trying to color match BM to S-W at the paint store, he wants me to name the S-W colors up front. I’d appreciate any suggestions.
Hi Diane,
The short answer is math; colorgraphical inforgraphics are essentially color by numbers first then I pull the chips to make final choices. I’m piecing together a pixelated image using *color chips* to echo and mimic the core composition of the original inspiration picture. What you want to do is simply cross colors in paint brands.
There are caveats, like different paint bases and tints, one must consider when taking one brand’s colors to another dealer for purchase but that wasn’t your question. Your question is how do you get what you want from the paint store you choose or have to use.
The contractor who is insisting on SW colors upfront is not being reasonable. Because he should be the solution in this case; it’s his job to deliver the desired color(s) to his customers – Color design pro or homeowner. He should be using the professionals that serve him in this process, the clerks at the paint store. The work of color matching BenM colors in SW happens behind the paint store counter. The contractor just needs to do his job and ensure the paint store does its job correctly.
Basically what he is demanding is you exclusively spec SW colors because it is impossible to name SW colors *for* BenM colors. If that were possible, that would mean they each use the very same palette. And, obviously, they do not.
I hesitate to share this but. . . http://www.colorcharts.org is something to explore given the situation. However, you need to really understand what it means when colorcharts identifies color *matches* in other paint brands. Unless it is 100% then it is not an exact match. 97% is just 97% of a match — not 100.
Colorcharts.org is a color tool that in the wrong hands can wreak absolute havoc, so just be sure you define clearly how it can help you.
Amy,
Yup, as we learned thru the IACC-NA seminars, a balanced palette is key to supportive color design. Once you understand the core philosophies of the IACC-NA, it shapes your color point of view. No coincidence we have agreed on this one through the years!
I manage a PPG Porter Paint store and most of the colors that I make are either BM or SW matches. With an experienced counter person to match your BM colors, you should have no problem at all getting a color match in almost any color that you want, no matter the company that manufactures the paint. Yes, it takes longer to match a color than to mix one that is part of our own system, but with proper planning and time management on the painters part, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Hi Kevin,
Thank you so much for chiming in! Great to have a paint store pro commenting. The PPG Voice of Color collection is bursting with beautiful paint colors and is definitely deserving of a little colorgraphical love. Colorgraphical infographics can use any brand’s color palette.
I’ll showcase PPG’s Voice of Color palette in the next infographic. Who knows, maybe it will help sell more PPG colors so you’re not custom matching to mostly BM and SW!
Lori and Kevin, thanks for your suggestions, and I agree with your assessments. Maybe I don’t really understand how paint stores try to “match” colors. I thought it was all done with computers and wasn’t a big deal. The first time I worked with this paint contractor I used BM historic paint colors which were perfect. The homeowner loved them, bought BM samples, tested them, then went back and had S-W “match” them, and then tested them on the house. This took too much time for the contractor. Is there a better way to deal with this situation? I get more referrals from this guy than any other part of my biz, and it’s really important to make him happy. The good news is that his clients love what I’m doing, even with the S-W paint choices, so I’m trying to go along with the program. But, I feel like the options are limited, particularly with interiors.
Hi Diane,
Sometimes it’s not a big deal to custom match, sometimes it is. Some colors cross brands easier than others. Relying on just the computer to make the match isn’t good enough. The computer is often a good place to start but it takes a person skilled in mixing color to really ‘take it home’ and mix as spot-on as possible color matches. Can take some time but it’s just part of the gig.
I would suggest the contractor adjust his expectations for this process. If he wants a professional consultant involved, then he needs to reconcile with the fact that it’s a new process and it requires more steps and time to do it right.
Otherwise, you’re going to have to develop a new process that’s custom for this contractor. If you want to add BenM colors to his typical SW palette, then maybe you develop a “Diane Faves BenM Palette”. Establish a process with the SW store he likes to use, teach them about “Diane’s Faves”. Have samples pre-mixed, boards painted and ready to go. Decide on a limited number of BenM colors and SW bases to offer/spec. Get as much preliminary work done as possible and see if your making the process more streamlined inspires him to compromise in order to offer his clients a higher level of service.
Lori, thanks a lot for the suggestions. I’ve never had to deal with this before, usually I work directly with clients and they go with my color choices since we agree on the paint brand before we get started. I’ve found that many paint contractors like working with S-W stores best, I assume since they like the services they get. The contractor recognizes color is important and suggests to his clients in his bid that they work with a color consultant. He gives them my number and that of an architect he’s been working with. But the paint guy wants it to be easy for him and his crew, and he makes his bids on one type of S-W paint that covers in one coat. He doesn’t want to mess with his program, but, hopefully, we can work this out.
Diane,
Oh boy – this is a sticky one. I’m sensing red flags with this painter. His wanting to only deal with SW colors and the belief he holds that one coat of paint is a professional paint job are the issues.
One coat is not a professional paint job. Paint is a film and its main *job* is not aesthetic. Paint’s real job is to protect and preserve. It takes two coats to build a proper film and to develop full resolution of color. That goes for any grade, any color but especially the less expensive tiers.
If he’s going with the one coat bit, then the next thing you’re going to find is even WITHIN the SW palette he’s going to want you to limit the colors you specify.
Because to continue to get away with the one-coat-is-enough schtick, you have to very carefully and cleverly select colors. In certain professional circles his practices could be argued as kind of *scam*.
There is no magic brew from any paint brand that will acceptably cover in one coat mixed in just any color. That’s why Ben Moore has the Affinity palette to go with Aura – that’s how they can claim Aura has one coat coverage.
However, one coat coverage means just that. The paint/color will cover in one coat but no one is saying that’s where you’re suppose to stop. The acceptable industry professional standard is two coats even with one coat coverage paints/colors.
If you want to work with this guy, you’re going to have to adjust your standards and your game to meet his. I’d be surprised if you’ll be able to coach him up in business practices to where he should be. . . but ya never know. Maybe he just doesn’t know any better and maybe you’re the one to educate him and help him grow in his craft. Like Maya Angelou says, “When you know better, you do better”.
Lori, when blending warm and cool neutrals do they still need to have the same chroma?