Thanks, Lori. I didn’t know CSP is full spectrum. I guess if we go ahead with the color we will have it mixed in BM. I appreciate the help!

I didn’t know CSP is full spectrum.

They technically call it multi-pigment formulation. So, there's that.

Every paint brand has competitor's colors in their database - it's not the original brand's formula. Rather, it's a translation of the Benjamin Moore color using Sherwin Williams products and colorants in an attempt to match the original color.

Because that's how it works, some of the finer nuances of the color might get lost in that translation. Some colors cross brands more gracefully than others - it's not a sure thing that it will work.

When it comes to multi-pigmented formulations, it's even more difficult to get a spot on match.

Honestly, it's easier to just get the color you want in the brand it comes in but I don't have a lot of patience for color mixing and matching gymnastics. :)

Painters often have a vested interest in the brand because of volume pricing levels -- it's about money as often as it is about "the best paint".

The bulk of the cost of a paint job is the labor, not the paint so it's worth a couple extra bucks to get the color you want which means buying it in its home brand.

The ONLY thing that "having a database of competitive colors" MEANS is......

Someone in their paint lab for "Company x" just scans a bunch of Fandecks, saves the best match (PER THE COMPUTER/COLOR-MATCHING SOFTWARE ESTIMATE....), puts them on disc, or other medium, & sells them to the retailers.

There's ALWAYS something lost in translation!!! Every companies colorants are different. Nothing is ever tested. It's just a scanners "best guess". I prefer to scan the chip, & do some tweaking, using mainly experience to zero in.

I've been doing this for 16yrs.

Faron

There's ALWAYS something lost in translation!!! Every companies colorants are different. Nothing is ever tested.

Yep. People assume a lot about how color really works. There's quite a bit that's not as neat, tidy, and precise as one might think. (or as color and design bloggers would lead you to believe)

But at the same time, they truly believe that the paint chips that are measured and tested for accuracy within a very narrow range of difference aren't to be trusted because paint chips aren't *real paint*.

Sherwin Williams has a data base where they can access all the formulas for competitors paint colors. If you go with Sherwin Williams (which I recommend doing) there will be no difference in the actual tint going into it. The only difference will be the base. The only possible way you would even notice the difference in the paints once tinted is if you put a sample under a microscope.

BULL HOCKEY!

I was all set to use SW version's of BM Wilmington Tan, BM Fernwood Green and BM Caliente. I had samples mixed up in both the BM line and in the SW line. The SW colors DID NOT match the BM colors at all. The base makes a HUGE difference in that the SW base is bluer.

My painter put up a sample of BM Fernwood Green and right next to it, the mixed version from SW of Fernwood Green. The SW color lacked the depth that the BM color had and the subtleness.

They are not the same. If you want a BM color, then get the color from BM. If you want a SW color, then get the color from SW.

Also the reason your painter prefers SW is because SW gives a larger discount to painters so they get the paint for less money. I had to pay an additional charge for my painter to use the BM colors I wanted, but to me it was worth it to get the correct color.

This is a great thread. I’ve color matched colors before. I always get a sample first and if the color is close enough and I like it fine. If not, I’ll either pick another color or get a sample in the correct brand. My frustration is that I really want Plaster of Paris but you have to have those paints mixed in Aura. I’m
Painting paneling and can’t use Aura for that ☹️ I wish there was some way to get the look with a trim quality paint

I'm curious how the OP ended up liking the bedroom in Benjamin Moore Sweet Celadon CSP-785. I am also considering it for a bedroom, one that faces north with good natural lighting. The color strikes me as a bit toward the pine-green side and definitely not leaning blue but not too yellow either, more of a neutral green. I would probably use satin sheen as I have for other Benjamin Moore wall paints in my home.