Testing white and off white colors – important tip:
While the introduction of sample quarts/pints has made trying color easier and more affordable, it doesn’t always work when testing very light colors. That’s because all paint formulas are based on a gallon – when this formula must be divided down into the smaller size, if it doesn’t divide evenly, the color will be “rounded off”.
In a gallon of a medium to dark color, this wouldn’t make any noticeable difference.
But when the color you’re trying to produce has very little pigment, and you are adding (or leaving out) color within a small quantity, the difference can be significant. It may vary enough from the chip that it doesn’t quite work anymore with your other finishes.
So, when putting up test patches of potential paint colors, go ahead and use the samples for medium colors. But if you’re trying to select a white, bite the bullet and get it in the first gallon of the REAL PAINT. Same product, same sheen that you or the painter will use.
