I don't believe the Sherwin Williams samples lack binding agent, but I don't doubt at all that a clerk made this claim. If you think about it, that would be a really bad move, to sell something that looks like paint but has no binding agent. I've spent a lot of money at Sherwin Williams, so I don't mind saying that I've done some small but complete interior jobs (Bathroom Vanities) with SW samples and they turned out perfectly. It's most likely their most inexpensive latex paint or whatever latex is at end of shelf life.

Just my opinion. Stocking a special blend of fake paint would far more trouble than it's worth. A company never wants anything that carries the corporate name to be junk.

The term junk is relative when you think about it. If it's being sold and labeled as a "color sample" -- and it does just that, then it's being marketed for its purpose so you avoid the debacle of selling an inferior product. In other words, it's not junk. They aren't marketing it as paint If it's not intended to be "paint" but rather a "color sample" and to be able to sell those for what, $5 a pop, I'd say that's smart marketing on their end because the markup /profit on that is going to be pretty hefty for an inert liquid that was marketed properly and does exactly what its supposed to do - to give you a color sample to put on the wall. And then wash off, or prime over. Run-on thought there but you get my point

If anyone came to my to my home and had the gall to use this product as "paint" for my walls, no way they'd get payment from me but I think any pro painter would know better.

I just got got rid of a bunch of my "color samples" - I gave them away as freebies on Craigslist. No way I'm mixing those with my regal paint, or even the lower end Ben Paint. PAINT being the key word here.

I'm not familiar with the sherwin Williams brand so for that I cannot comment.

Sherwin Williams Color to Go Jug samples lack performance properties that's why the label states - in bold letters - that they must be topcoated. Kudos to SW for being so clear and transparent about the fact that their color samples aren't the same as paint.

... and as far as formulas on samples not matching quarts or gallons, there is more than one way to mix a paint color. In other words, there isn't just one recipe for a particular color. This has progressively gotten better over the years, IMO. As equipment and technology improve, I think brands are getting better at mixing their colors consistently.

But it's still not perfect so the consumer has to be responsible for checking the accuracy of the colors they buy. I wrote an article on LinkedIN about how one of my clients figured it out with just a little help from me. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/architectural-paint-color-design-has-changed-forever-lori-sawaya

So I painted my bathroom wall with two sample jars of Benjamin Moore paint a few months ago. I used the both jars completely and ended up with two coats on two walls. Everything got busy in my life so I did not get around to finalizing the paint color for several months. I have to say that these little jars of paint held up to daily showering in the bathroom and two kids touching the walls every day. Smudges washed off and the paint looked as beautiful months later as it did the day I applied it. It's no wonder the BM shop was hesitant to sell me two samples of the same color. They kept telling me that they thought one would be enough. This is real paint and it is BM quality, no matter what the jar states or what the workers at the shop tell you. The rest of my house is painted in Aura BM paint so I am very familiar with its wear and durability.

I have used the SW samples many times on display boards for our store. Also I've custom mixed a couple and painted a guest room....that was 6 yrs ago and it still looks good. It applies like an inexpensive flat so of course it will not wash well. I don't think I would use it in a busy area where one needs to wipe off hand prints.

Since I last posted, I had the opportunity to talk to a Benjamin Moore tech rep.

Benjamin Moore samples are "comparable" to their Ben grade of paint. To be clear it is not their Ben grade in the sample cans rather it's a "comparable" brew of paint.

I work at the Home Depot. For 14 years I have mixed paint.

The samples of Behr and Glidden are actually paint, same quality as the Gallon can! You can even try out all the different qualities.

As for different formulas on samples vs Quarts, Gallons, that’s simple.

imagine if you take a quart formula for instance. Take the smallest amount of colorant say a red( depending on the formula) and it has 1 drop in it. If you divide that by 4 to get to an 8oz sample,

you get .25 the machine can’t dispence 1/4 of 1/384ths of an ounce.

so the computer calculates another set of colors to get the same result.

this also depends on sheen (sample was eggshell Gallo is flat) or different quality of paint different formula.

Just to add to the original lack of binding agent question: My painter started painting the metal corners of our lap siding with a SW color sample, after having primed the corners previously. Fortunately, I saw him doing this and asked him to stop immediately - he argued fiercely that the paint was more than good enough for my exterior. After reading this thread and others, I took a wet terry cloth rag and started rubbing the paint and it came right off the corners and lap siding right down to the primer with very little effort - this is after three days of drying in 60 degree plus weather. I went to SW and purchased our final exterior paint and painted that on some corners, left it overnight, and then tried rubbing that the next morning - it took a lot of effort to even begin removing paint. So, there is no doubt in my mind that the SW sample "color" is not meant to be paint and is quite inferior.

Hausfxr thanks for actually testing this and posting back with the results!

This is an old thread but I'd like to add a comment. I used to work for SW. I was the color expert, definitely not a paint tech expert. I was instructed to tell people that they could paint with the samples, but that it definitely needed a top coat. Nothing about "binding agents". A year or so later at a different store, a very knowledgeable tech guy admitted that we we're only instructed to tell people that because we wanted them to buy the more expensive paint. If customers know that samples are real paint, they won't spend the $20 for a higher quality quart. The samples are real paint, similar in quality to the ProMar100 (or whatever it was called) which was the least expensive of the contractor line. Not high quality, but not crap either.

You know Becca, I was thinking the same thing about the paint samples. I've read blogs and I've seen posts on YouTube of people who have painted furniture and other small items with Color To Go samples. It may not be their top of the line stuff, but evidently, it is plenty good enough for those people. Even if a customer only goes to Sherwin-Williams for samples, that's a sale they may not otherwise get and there are lots of people who use paint samples for their DIY projects. If the paint really is decent quality and it holds up well... Why not? And that person who only buys samples may know a contractor or may need a lot more paint for a big project in the future. Good customer service would dictate that they don't discourage people from buying the samples if it meets the needs of their customers.

With all due respect, before I believed it, I would need more verification from a reputable resource at Sherwin Williams who is willing to attach their name to the statement that the CTG jugs are some flavor of their ProMar grade.

With that said, I'm not sure it matters.

People are going to read this thread and believe what they want to anyway.

The label says what it says and if you are any kind of color professional you have to default to the manufacturer's instructions as written on the product. Because if you don't and it rubs off, flakes or whatever you're screwed.... because you didn't respect what the label instructed.

Well, I definitely appreciate your point and what you're saying, but, I also think it's a matter of people not knowing what to believe. On one hand, yes, the can says what it says... But on the other hand, there are many people who have used this product and had good results in spite of what the can says. From a DIY standpoint, I'm going to buy a sample and use it and see how it holds up. Either it will, or it won't, and I'll have my answer. :) if we all let the back of a can determine what we can and can't do, a lot of creativity would be lost.

Coming late to this thread, but I had a similar conversation with the local BM dealer regarding paint/not paint. He told me the color samples are not paint. But it seems likely that they are indeed a lower quality of paint. The main point, though, is that each color sample costs me &7.49!!!! Plus tax. This is on the North Shore of Boston. Have the prices for these little cans gone up dramatically recently?

$7.49 +tax? Yowza.

Yeah! I need another sample today, and I am going to ask them about this price. It is too early for me to call a few other stores and find out their prices (this store is the only one that is convenient to my home).

I went to the store and was persuaded to try a color sample made of C2 paint. It is a bit more expensive but is the same quality paint as their normal Luxe line. Unlike with BM/Regal. The store owner acknowledged that that paint sample is maybe equivalent to the Ben line of paint. Maybe he was just saying it to agree with what that I had said!

I'll try the C2 primer, to whether it is better than BM, and maybe a color sample of the earlier BM sample, for purposes of comparison. And I can use the C2 "sample." to cover the wall. So, we'll see. I wonder whether C2 is all it is ballyhooed to be. I did some online searching, but the jury is still out. Stick with BM when in doubt . . .

Oooohhh, C2 Paint is indeed worth it. Pretty full spectrum colors.

UPdate on C2/BM samples.

So, I couldn't make up my mind on color, and bought a total of three C2 samples, eggshell finish. Since it is real paint, I figured I would be able to use the paint elsewhere. Put some on the wall and went away for an hour and returned to see whether I liked the color. First thing I notice: Major reflectivity in the afternoon light. Reflective enough so that I couldn't actually see the color. Next to that area I painted on a patch of BM eggshell in a similar color and waited for it to dry. No reflectivity. I checked the BM sheen chart. The C2 "eggshell" finish is at least two sheen levels shinier than BM eggshell. More like satin verging on semi-gloss. This means that I cannot use the C2 samples in other projects (as I had thought when I shelled out $10 each for the paint samples) because I don't want light-reflective walls! WTF? It also means that I am losing time on my project because I had expected to get half the room done tonight using the sample ( I am under a deadline, with guests arriving). Now I am hamstrung until I get some more paint tomorrow. A BM dealer who *persuades* a long-time BM user to try C2 should definitely inform the customer that she will need to get a C2 flat or matte finish to equal a BM eggshell.

I am disgusted. I have made some "chips" to show the store. Also made some photos. The difference in reflectivity is very obvious. But I expect they will find a way to blame me for not "seeing" the paint properly, not "understanding" paint, or engage is some other mansplaining. I think I have had it with C2 paint. I tried the primer and I don't notice any difference from the BM high hiding primer, except the C2 has a strong odor. And costs 10 bucks more.

HU - I had a similar predicament when we repainted our last house before we sold. I wanted to purchase BM paint in the Ben line but the store rep neglected to ask me what line of paint I wanted, so instead he gave me the Regal Select Line in Eggshell. a little more expensive but it’s a great quality paint so I wasn’t complaining, and their eggshell finish in the Regal Select line depicted a true eggshell sheen. I went back later, ordered more paint but this time I got the BEN line in Eggshell. Waaaaay different sheens - the Ben line in eggshell looks more like a satin finish and I was happy we were selling our home because I did not like how reflective it was. What a difference in sheens, and both were eggshell. Makes me wonder if they do that on purpose so you buy the pricier line of paint to get the more accurate “eggshell” sheen. Or perhaps one can consider a matte sheen (if they offer that) in the Ben line if you are looking for a more true eggshell finish. Lesson learned.

So I just looked online at Ben Moore interior paint selections online and whadya know - the only offer the Ben line in either flat, eggshell (which looks more like satin) and semi gloss finishes. So if you want a “true“ eggshell finish you have to go with their regal select line of paint. In the regal line they offer it in flat, matte, eggshell, pearl, and semi gloss finishes.

Sneaky bastards.

Ok so I looked at their interior paint selections online.

Their BEN line of paint is offered in three sheens - flat, eggshell (which really looks satin to me), and semi gloss. The eggshell in this line was far too shiny for my tastes.

Their Regal Select line is offered in flat, matte, eggshell, pearl and semi gloss finishes.

The eggshell in this line looks like a true eggshell finish. I loved it.

If you want a truer depiction of eggshell, trust me when I say you’ll want the Regal Select line of paint. otherwise you are forced to choose between flat or the shiny eggshell finish in the Ben line.

So don’t make the mistake of believing that their eggshell finishes are the same across all their lines of paint even if they are all Benjamin Moore paints.

Sneaky!

I have only ever used Benjamin Moore Regal paint, in both eggshell and semigloss (for trim). Both are great paints and great finishes. At the C2 website they describe their eggshell (7200) as appropriate for walls and TRIM. If it is appropriate for trim, then IMO it is not a true eggshell, and they should call it something else. (Also, the designation on the sample paint container is C2 Base L7270, but the label the dealer attached reads "Eggshell (L7200) 7270. So what does 7270 mean? )

But I really also feel that the dealer should have proactively informed me that C2 eggshell is not the same as BM eggshell, because each time I asked specifically for eggshell; they knew that I have been usiing BM eggshell---they have, like, four gallons of BM Regal eggshell paint in their computer. So they should have known that C2 eggshell was NOT going to be at all what I expected, and was going to be a waste of my money. And time.

Basically I am sticking with BM Regal. So, if I ever decide again to go the route of getting a C2 color sample (in order to get actual paint) instead of a BM color sample, I guess I have to ask for matte or flat if I want to get an eggshell finish and not waste the money and the paint. Actually, I didn't see any sheen chart for C2 paints. I 'll ask them tomorrow if they have that. I have one for BM and the C2 eggshell is like the BM satin. Even shinier than the pearl finish.

The difference in reflectivity is very obvious. But I expect they will find a way to blame me for not "seeing" the paint properly, not "understanding" paint, or engage is some other mansplaining.

Probably not because the inconsistency in gloss levels - even within the same brand - is a well-known issue.

It's exactly what you discovered, one brand's "eggshell" can be as shiny as another brand's "satin". The names really don't mean anything.

And you bring up a good point; finding the gloss levels that you love is as much work as finding the right colors. It's always a good idea to see the set of sheen samples in advance.

Yes, they didn't show me a sheen card, and I didn't see one displayed anywhere. But I think, since they knew what paint I was using, that they themselves should have thought of this my when they suggested I make a change! And not let me continue wasting my money. We'll see . . .

Further C2 sample thoughts: I wonder why C2 uses plastic containers for their samples. They don't seem very practical. The screw-on tops can be very hard to get open (depending on how hard the guy at the paint store screwed it shut); the gal at the paint store said that many people apply some Vaseline to the lid to make sure they can get it open again once there is some paint on the lid . . .Really? Apply Vaseline to a paint can? Is this a good idea?

I recently had an epiphany concerning the fact that traditional metal paint cans are the best design. For years I used yogurt containers for smaller amounts of paint. Until one day I got annoyed with the messy paint buildup on the sides---and realized the point of the traditional design, with its rim. Now, if I need a smaller paint container and don't have one I go to the store and buy a new empty for $1.50.

So, why would C2 use something that, actually, looks kind of like a cosmetics jar or bath crystals jar? I checked the volume: 15.5 fluid oz.--just under a pint. It looked like more than the BM metal sample can. But in fact the BM can holds 15.7 fl. oz. 2 oz. more. So the C2 container looks like more, but actually is less. In an impractical container . . . Are they targeting a specific market with this packaging? A market that is more used to opening cosmetic jars than paint cans? Just wondering . . .

Maybe they get a deal on plastic containers. I hated those when I was trying out paint color samples because no matter how careful I was screwing the lid on I needed to stand over the sink to open it again. Otherwise I'd be doing cleanup of the floor, the counter, possibly an appliance door or two...

About the plastic containers.

I'm not sure but there was a phase where marketing departments liked to equate shopping for paint colors to shopping for cosmetics.

Women are the majority when it comes to buying color and they may have been trying to appeal to that demographic.

The standards are the same for measuring gloss and sheen (gloss and sheen are not the same thing)

What lacks standardization is how the results of measuring gloss/sheen are categorized and labeled.

Again, more marketing. And the reason for finishes name pearl, velvet, eggshell with one g and one l "eg-shel".

There is so much that doesn't make sense across the industry in general. Gloss/sheen inconsistencies have been a problem for as long as I can remember.

I picked up a little flyer at an Ace hardware store, and it provided some basic concepts for paint "newbies." It contained, among other info on what you need to do a basic painting project, definitions of five levels of sheen: flat, matte, eggshell, satin, semigloss. Can't lay my hands on it now but will look for it. Of course, words are open to interpretation. But the definitions were pretty clear. But in any event, that is why a sheen chart should be prominently available for each line of paint sold, and I am surprised the high-end C2 does not provide this. You have to look at their color deck to find it in the back, but it is hard to see, and hard to find (it is generally behind the counter), and hard to use (difficult to hold and to see). Nothing provided for customers to take home with them. A la BM's sheen chart that provides designations and chips for their interior and exterior lines.

PS. BM describes the sheen levels in terms of "light absorbing" vs. reflectivity.

"

PS. BM describes the sheen levels in terms of "light absorbing" vs. reflectivity.

Okay. That's just wrong.

It's a matter of scatter and marginal reflectiveness.

The wall surface isn't smooth enough and the paint (even high gloss) isn't shiny enough to qualify as a reflector.

People think shiny paint = more light bounced back in to the space but it's more like spots of glare; it doesn't add up to enough light to contribute to the atmosphere in the room.

The only attribute, or measured aspect of color that speaks to "light absorbing" vs. reflectivity is LRV, Light Reflectance Value, and it has everything to do with the color and absolutely nothing to do with sheen/gloss.

I sort-of skimmed some of this conversation, so apologies if I'm being redundant or anything.

Background story:

I recently went through way too many paint chips from almost every brand in the area to pick out a color for a piece of furniture. I finally settled on one of the Sherwin Williams colors called Raisin. I went and bought a quart of it in satin ... I let the guy help me select which paint variety, which ended up being the All Surface Enamel (the latex one, not the oil-based). I opened it up to paint with it the next day, was alarmed by how purple the paint looked in the can, smeared it on an index card and used a hair dryer to expedite things ... we still had some concern about how purple it was looking, so we hopped in the car with the paint, the index card, and the chip and drove to the store (we were getting close to closing and needed more brushes anyways, so not a lot of thinking before hopping in the car). By the time we got go the store, we had decided that the nicely applied portions of paint on the index card had in fact dried to match the chip to within visually perceivable tolerances, and by the time we got to the counter, it was mostly a debate over just sticking with raisin, glazing over it with black bean (the next chip darker/browner), or staining over the paint with espresso stain.

So when I talked to the Sherwin Williams guy, I explained my concern over my raisin paint being too purple in the room and our thoughts about glazing. He discussed with us how it might be difficult to alter the paint I had, since it's an ultra deep base and that they didn't sell glaze. We explained to him that one could add paint to glaze base (which he also didn't sell), and this seemed to be news to him, so um, interpret that as you please. Anyways, he mixed us up a sample of the black bean color. He seemed to generally recommend samples be used on sample posters (the people in front of us were buying samples).

Getting to the point:

Out of curiosity, he printed out the sample formulation for raisin to compare to the black bean and discussed how it had a lot more magenta in it. When I saw the formulas I initially mixed up which was which because the formula for raisin he had printed off had an extra colorant in it from what I had purchased. I pulled out my receipt to compare and confirm. My paint had an ultradeep base with magenta, maroon, and black added to it; the paint to go sample base would have had magenta, maroon, black, and gold added to it to create raisin. when I pointed this out, he explained that there were multiple formulas to get to the same color in paint, and he also pointed out that mine was real paint, as opposed to sample paint, implying that that affected the formulation to achieve raisin. I didn't get the impression that the samples weren't paint, more that they weren't of a quality to be viewed as a true Sherwin Williams paint.

We ended up sticking with the piece just in raisin, so I can't speak to the quality of the black bean paint to go sample. If I had to guess, it's like buying some of the generics at the grocery store ... it's still food, but it may or may not have all the attributes of the favorite brand. You might be able to interchange the two just fine if you don't need those attributes, but depending on what you want from the product, you'll get what you paid for.

" People think shiny paint = more light bounced back in to the space but it's more like spots of glare; it doesn't add up to enough light to contribute to the atmosphere in the room. "

of course the paint is not a *source* of light. And you are correct (in my experience) in tht the reflectivity of a semigloss over a (true) eggshell is considerable and can be seen, literallly, as glare. i took a photo of a patch of the BM eggshell and the C2 eggshell on the wall where I intended to use the paint, where the light comes in at a slant because of the configureation of the windows and the east-west position of the house. And in the photo the C2 patch is just a patch of GLARE!! This was definitely not the effect I wanted in my kitchen. Whether this glare would contribute to the *amount* of light scattered in a room or not I cannot say. However, it is clear that light reflected from any color source (such as a red wall, a red towel) does affect the way the nearby walls look. Greenery outside a room affects the effect of the paint on the interior wall. In the question of the effects of "sheen," taken to the max you can create an affect of more light in a room with a mirror.

I am glad there are people still commenting on this. I have a dilemma...I went to BM and got a sample of Black Beauty. As expected, the sample looks black with some brown undertones. I decided to buy several gallons of Black Beauty in Aura quality and I was going to paint this weekend. I open up the can and it is clearly purple. On the drop they put on the can, I can’t see the purple. However, on sample stretches I painted and which have dried they are black/purple. The label says he correct thing. Is it likely they messed it up or can there be such a big difference?

he explained that there were multiple formulas to get to the same color in paint, and he also pointed out that mine was real paint, as opposed to sample paint, implying that that affected the formulation to achieve raisin.

This is true.

The most accurate measure of a paint color is the designer-sized chips you can order.

Even a chip in a NEW fandeck makes a good target for comparison.

ALL MIXTURES IN ALL GRADES AND SHEENS HAVE THE SAME TARGET AND THAT IS A PAINT CHIP.

All roads lead back to a paint chip. If I could be more dramatic about this I would, lol! :D

The whole business about paint chips and or samples not being real paint is a complete farce.

It doesn't matter that it's not real paint.

Because it doesn't matter how the color was made - the colorants, the formula, the base does not matter.

What matters is the FINAL RESULT.

As long as the final result hits the numbers (so to speak and literally) in how the color LOOKS, your're good to go.

The only thing that matters is if the color data values from the original target, the paint chip matches a dry sample of the paint that was mixed.

The problem is most people do not know how to do this basic and simple cross-check using color data values.

So, they're stuck eyeballin' it.

When it looks "off", they don't have a framework of color data values to pin point exactly what is "off".

And then chaos ensues trying to sort out what's going on.

I actually know EXACTLY what is in SW color samples. I run a high end paint company that goes through tens of thousands of dollars of SW paint a month, we have done thousands of int/ext repaints and custom projects over the years. I know hundreds of SW folks at hundreds of stores and we work all over Texas with a heavy presence in DFW, SA, Austin, Houston, Midland/Odessa. Lubbock, the valley and the Hill Country, I work with many SW reps (SW has in field reps/experts that support business clients specifically for special support and knowledge regarding SW and managing their account) and have more knowledge on their product lines than most of them even do, especially the retail associates. I'm on a first name basis with over 30 store managers that I see regularly and also have connections to their Spraysource (Contractor specific tools, Spray equipment. and tool/maintence shop) specialists and side of the business with relationships I've built and maintained over many years in the industry. I know their paint and their product lines and differences inside and out because I enjoy it and its my profession but mainly because it is my job to know. We sell and use SW and BM etc for high end premium work we do all over the state every day, from new construction to repaints residential and commercial and our clients expect the best and get the best. It is a trade secret I keep to myself as I dont want to ruin it for us, SW, and others on the business side who are in the know but yes, as with most big companies it is in an ethical grey area how they try to hide it to protect their sales and profits. What I can tell you is IT IS real paint. Its not even the low grade stuff it is at the start of their premium grades. It is a specific line that is active but has had quarts discontinued when they made the switch over. It is semi recent they made the current paint the new color sample paint and it is a INTERIOR SATIN paint. In fact if you guess right and figure it out you can literally use the current color sample quarts to touch up paint for interior satin jobs in this line PERFECTLY even heavy natural and artificial light shifting areas with ZERO flashing because it is literally the EXACT same paint as the paint line its from. As for what paint line I wont say, but you painters out there can probably figure it out. This is in regards to SW only, I'm not going to start on the BM side as its a little more complicated.

I'm back, so yup, you guessed it, I'm painting more furniture, and you can bet I again went through mitts full of paint chips to decide, and I'm back in sample world again. The winning brand this round was Benjamin Moore ... I just throw paint chips at a project until I like some and then find out what store I need to go back to, haha.

So long story short, I narrowed down to a few different colors that I was hoping to get samples of ... I had noticed that they had some little two ounce jars that went with some of their Affinity line of colors, and then they have their Rent-A-Quart program that lets you take home a quart of premixed color, paint something with it to test the color and bring it back within the week for a rental fee of $4. I asked about the little two ounce jars, and the gentleman told me that they were something they no longer really did and were several years old, but if my color was there, he'd sell it to me for $2.

So I can't speak to actual durability, since I just painted them on a pizza box and returned them, but here's what I learned about the Rent-A-Quart samples:

They come in a Ben can, just with a funky top snapped onto it that adds a screw top cap to the metal can ... assuming the previous renter didn't paint it shut, in which case the whole top thing might just end up coming off instead (which was actually easier for stirring and the brush anyways). This would imply that it is in fact their ben line of paint. There are no options though, you can have flat.

The guy asked me and the lady who was also getting some samples if we needed poster board to paint on. We both said we didn't need it, and she mentioned she'd just paint on her white walls. He responded by pointing out that the sample would not be super durable, and made some recommendations to me as to which paints/sheens would be good for my furniture project. I'm not sure whether it's the ben paint or the flat sheen he was referring to in terms of durability. I wanted satin or semi-gloss for my piece, so I wasn't really considering using the sample as its final paint regardless of what he said, since it's only flat.

Conclusion: They were very helpful in selecting the better color for my piece. I can't speak to their use beyond that purpose.

I haven't actually done anything with my two ounce sample jar, since it is an accent color option, and honestly, for what I want it for, it doesn't matter what quality it is or durability it has, since it's for a trim that won't get much wear. Anyways, it's eggshell according to the paint store clerk, and I have no idea what line it comes from, but it says it "contain[s] premium quality, interior paint and [is] intended for color representation only." As mentioned before, it's not something they really do beyond leftovers anymore, so not sure how useful this is, but if you find them, that's what I know about them. He didn't mention their durability or anything, just clarified that it was eggshell, not flat like the Rent-a-Quarts.

I was told by a few professional painter and a BM rep that their paint samples are actual quality ”paint” however the paint sample is a mix between two of their different sheens....matte and satin, I believe. So this makes the samples useless for touch ups if your buying a quart or gallon of any sheen BM paint unless you paint your whole room with a hundred sample cans. As far as SW color snap samples, if I paint 2 coats of a sample on the wall, it does wipe away clean with a magic eraser along with a SIGNIFICANT amount of effort and scrubbing. I’ve never tried to scrub away SW paint after applying an actual paint brand gallon (not a sample) but if I ever repaint a room, I’ll try it with the existing paint on the wall. ☺️ I use excess paint samples for furniture and small projects along with a top coat of polycrylic and they work great.

Honestly,

I don't think anybody knows the truth about the grade or sheen of paint in the sample sizes.

Those who actually do legit know for sure would probably never tell.

LOL, very true! It’ll forever be a mystery.

I just painted two kitchen cabinets with a sample paint from BM. I guess I wasted my time. I’m going to go over them with a sealer and hope.

@phillipsmclure, we're several years beyond the original post and I still can't say what samples are "real" paint and which ones are colored water (essentially).

In your case, it kinda doesn't matter because you should be looking into product made specifically for painting cabinets. I wouldn't recommend using wall paint on cabinets.

And, right now, there is a paint shortage across the board - all brands, products, tiers. So it might take a minute to find the right primer/paint plan of action.

I bought several Benjamin Moore sample half quartz or whatever they are (like 1/3 of a can size) and the dealer said it was real paint.

While talking to BM customer support about 75% color etc. He said they dont have the same resins. This was not in answer to a direct question but just a comment when talking color and samples etc.

FWIW

PS I called their customer support line 2 or 3x and they were good experiences. Real Customer support!!!! The mind boggles.

Saw this on FB recently about their new samples. Interesting, eh?

That sounds the same as what I had been told before ... they're paint, but they lack the typical durability.

I am just here to say that.... wow.

I found this thread an hour ago via a Google search. BM has samples 50% off right now for 1/2 a pint so its like 2.99 a piece and with Free Shipping.. Sounded like a really good deal, as i paid $18 (on sale, in addition to borrowing my dad's small discount he recieves for using his store loyalty rewards card) for a pint this morning of another equally consistently good paint that ive used. I have been flipping furniture and doing a lot of DIY type things, as well as am an artist with an educational background in color and how paints have historically been created (and marketed)- for extra money since the pandemic happened. And yes - paint has gotten so expensive. I understand the quality and work that goes into developing the higher end paints and the skill in those that use it for way bigger jobs than i do. And in totally respect that.

But In regards to what I need it for- I simply cannot pay $30-80 a quart. I will buy samples and mess-ups all day long as cheap as I can find them. I will literally choose the color I am going to use based soley on what's cheapest.

And that's only because this is like a hobby that occasionally will make me some really good extra money. I don't depend on it as my main job- so I'm definitely not in the same position many of you are.

But when I saw the discrepancy in price, it made me pause and do some googling. i think i typed in "why are bm samples so cheap and are they the same paint they sell?"

And the very first link Google gave me was this thread.

I have learned more in the last 1.5 hours (9 years for you guys) about paint most people will ever know. Like, EVER.

Y'all are some dedicated and highly intelligent people and I never knew there was so much misinformation to customers, unregulated practices among businesses, opposing opinions among companies and professionals, nor did i know there were people like Lori who is still showing up after 9 years to answer people's questions and provide answers and solutions.

I'm just very impressed with this whole thread right now. I work in the Anti-trafficking movement and I though we were persistent 🤣 It's just super cool to see people caring so

much about their work, each other, their industry and its just nothing like I ever would've expected.

keep up the good fight. We'd love to have some of you bring this dedication and commitment to excellence and holding your industry accountable on over to help us

fight. We could all learn from folks like you 🥰

The BM paint samples are INTERIOR paint. If you go to SW to buy a sample color they are not giving you a sample of their Exterior Emrald paint or their top of the line interior paint. I have been going to HELM paint for years and they are consistent in their service and knowledge. the sample we buy is their base interior paint not the top of the line regal or the Aura. ITS PAINT period! is it exterior grade? nope! would you put an interor paint on siding? nope! there fore the samples are only for you to decide a color prior to painting wether its for interior or exterior paint job. once one deicides there are several diffirent options from top of line pricey to cheaper. Regal and Aura is the bomb but i also think super spec is good and im pretty sure that's what the samples are.

There is Super hide Super spec Ben regal and aura. the samples for ben more are either super spec or super hide. We have used The contractor grade ULTRA spec when we were building sprayed and it worked great! if one uses BM paint enough one knows and can tell the difference between the sample paint and the BM Aura.