Colour Matching Services

How to Get the Best Match from a Photo or Sample

Getting the colour exactly right can be the difference between “pretty good” and “perfect.” Whether you’re touching up a wall, coordinating with existing décor, or trying to recreate a favourite shade from a fabric or tile, Colour Matching for Paint helps you make confident choices without endless trial and error. At Cloverdale Paint, colour matching is a craft refined over more than 85 years, combining trained eyes, proven techniques, and modern colour-matching technology to recreate almost any colour you bring in.

If you’ve ever stood in front of a paint wall thinking, “None of these looks quite right,” you’re not alone. Paint colours can shift under different lighting, and even small differences in undertone can stand out once the paint is on the wall. That’s why professional matching especially when you need a close touch-up or a custom shade is so valuable.

What Is Colour Matching for Paint?

Colour Matching for Paint is the process of recreating an existing colour as accurately as possible so you can repaint, touch up, or coordinate a new colour scheme. Cloverdale Paint’s matching service is built on decades of experience: producing colours is considered an “art” that requires a trained eye, and that skill is passed on to every Cloverdale Paint team member.

But it’s not just experience alone. Cloverdale Paint also uses current colour-matching computers and careful calibration to fine-tune colour formulas. The result is a balanced approach the technology provides precision, and experienced staff ensure the match looks right in real life.

How to Use Colour Matching for Paint?

If you’re wondering how to get a colour matched, the process is simple and designed for everyday homeowners as well as professionals:

1. Bring in a sample.

   Cloverdale Paint can match from almost anything: a paint chip, fabric swatch, home décor item, or another coloured object you love. Bring in your favorite color, a paint chip or fabric sample This is exactly how the service is intended to work.

2. Make sure the sample is clean and true to colour.

   Dirt, fading, or coatings on the sample can shift results. If you can, bring a piece from a less sun-exposed area.

3. Talk through your project.

   Let the team know where the paint will be used (interior walls, trim, cabinetry, exterior siding, etc.) so sheen and product type can be chosen appropriately.

4. Review the match.

   Your Cloverdale Paint specialist will create a formula and confirm your colour goal.

5. Test at home.

   For best accuracy, try a small sample on your wall and view it at different times of day before committing to gallons.

   This is the same high-standard approach Cloverdale Paint provides daily because professionals and designers demand it, and homeowners deserve it too.

Colour Matching for Paint from a Photo

A lot of people ask if Colour Matching for Paint can be done from a photo. Photos are a fantastic starting point, especially if the original item can’t be easily brought into the store. That said, cameras and screens interpret colour differently depending on lighting, exposure, and device settings.

If you want the best match from a photo:

• Take the photo in natural daylight: Avoid yellow indoor bulbs or strong shadows.
• Include a neutral reference: A white sheet of paper in the frame helps indicate true colour.
• Capture multiple angles: If the surface has texture or sheen, more views help.
• Bring a physical sample if possible: Even a small chip or removable piece improves accuracy dramatically.

Think of a photo as a helpful guide, and a real-world sample as the final truth. Cloverdale Paint’s team and colour-matching technology work together to get you as close as possible.

What Makes the Best Colour Matching for Paint?

The best colour matching isn’t just about a machine reading a colour it’s about recreating how that colour will look once it becomes paint, under your lighting, on your surface.

Here’s what Cloverdale Paint relies on to achieve top results:

• A trained, experienced eye: Colour matching is an art, and Cloverdale Paint staff are taught time-tested methods that have been refined for decades.
• Updated matching technology: Modern colour-matching computers help precisely calculate formulas that replicate your sample.
• Real project context: Matching for a bright hallway wall is different from matching for exterior trim in full sun. Finish level, surface porosity, and exposure all matter.
• Professional standards: Cloverdale Paint matches colour every day for professional painters and designers, so accuracy is a baseline expectation.

That mix craft plus technology is what makes matching consistent and reliable.

When to Use Colour Matching for Paint

Colour matching is useful for more projects than most people realize. It’s ideal when you:

• Need to touch up a wall or ceiling and don’t know the original shade.
• Want to match a décor item like curtains, rugs, tiles, or furniture.
• Are copying an inspiration colour you saw in a magazine or online.
• Have an older paint colour no longer available in standard collections.
• Need consistency across multiple rooms or additions to a home.

Even if you’re planning a brand-new palette, matching a “starting point” colour can help you build a cohesive design around something you already love.

Tips for the Most Accurate Match

To get the most from Colour Matching for Paint, keep these quick tips in mind:

• Provide the largest sample you can: A bigger area gives a more accurate reading of undertones.
• Avoid glossy or reflective items when possible: If you’re doing a multi-room project, buy enough paint at once so it can be tinted consistently.
• Expect slight shifts between batches: If you’re doing a multi-room project, buy enough paint at once so it can be tinted consistently.
• Test before committing: Lighting changes everything—especially warm LEDs vs. daylight.

Ready to Match Your Colour?

If you’re aiming for a seamless touch-up or recreating a beloved shade, Cloverdale Paint’s Colour Matching for Paint service makes it easy. Bring in your sample or your best photo reference, and the team will use a blend of experience and advanced matching tools to meet your colour needs—no matter how unique.

When you’re ready, visit your local Cloverdale Paint store and let colour matching take the stress out of choosing the perfect paint.