Color on screen vs color in paint: getting the color you expect

Why colors look different

• Screens vary. The same photo looks different on a phone, a laptop and a calibrated monitor.
• Photos are affected by light. Warm indoor light turns whites yellow; shade turns them blue.
• Pigment has limits. Some screen colors, especially vivid blues and greens, have no exact equivalent in paint.
• The room changes the painting. A painting looks different under daylight, warm bulbs and cool office lighting.

How we photograph finished paintings

Finished paintings are photographed in consistent, neutral light, with the camera square to the canvas and minimal editing, so the photo you approve is as close to the real painting as a photo can be.

Matching a specific color

If you send a paint swatch or a Pantone reference, the painter mixes to match it by eye. Paint can come very close to a swatch; it can't guarantee an exact match to a screen.

For color-critical projects

1. Send physical swatches or name the paint colors in the room.
2. Order a sample first and view it in the room's own light.
3. Tell us the lighting where the painting will hang.