Sherwin-Williams uses a computerized spectrophotometer system called Sher-Color. It works by scanning a physical sample—like a piece of painted drywall, fabric, or a competitor’s color chip—using a controlled light source and digital camera to analyze the exact color composition. The system then generates a custom tint formula.
Yes, Sherwin-Williams provides custom color matching both in-store and through digital tools.
Dull or outdated colors
While you might be tempted to revisit trends from past eras, among the colors to avoid in a bathroom are beige-yellow tones, dull brown, and olive green. These can even give the impression of uncleanliness in addition to appearing outdated.
Custom Color Match in Seconds
For just $9.99/mo., upgrade your experience with the SherMatch+ subscription plan that custom color matches using all-new innovative technology.* Contact your store or rep to get started.
Yes, Sherwin-Williams can identify paint colors from a photo, but they cannot mix a custom paint based on a photo. Because cameras, lighting, and screens distort colors, the store requires a physical sample (like a color chip, swatch, or a small piece of the item) to run a 100% accurate color-match.
Have you seen a picture of your dream home, or spotted a colour in a photo that you now want in your own home? With Valspar everything is possible. Simply upload the image and we'll tell you which of our 2000 pre-selected Valspar colours is the closest match.
Yes, the ColorSnap Visualizer app by Sherwin-Williams is entirely free to download and use on iOS and Android devices.
Yes, you can use your phone to color-match paint. Free mobile apps allow you to take a photo of an object or wall and find the closest matching brand-name paint color.
Lowe's can match ANY color, in ANY of our Valspar or HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams paint lines 🎨✨ | Lowe's Home Improvement.
Red is universally considered the hardest paint color to cover. Vibrant red pigments are highly transparent and inherently prone to bleeding through subsequent layers. Other notoriously difficult colors to cover include black, dark blue, dark green, and bright yellow.
People can be made to see reddish green and yellowish blue—colors forbidden by theories of color perception. These and other hallucinations provide a window into the phenomenon of visual opponency.
Beige tones, hues of white, and grey should be the colors of choice for your furniture, curtains, drapes, and other home accessories. Neutral colors not only give that plush look, but they also give you that warm feeling.
Cool gray is being replaced by "mushroom" neutrals (warm taupes and greys with subtle green or violet undertones), warm earthy khakis, and soft, natural sages.
Interior designers generally advise avoiding bold, highly saturated, and overly stimulating hues for bedroom walls. The bedroom should be a calming retreat for rest and relaxation, making these specific colors the ones to skip:
To get an exact paint color match, take a physical sample at least 111 inch square (like a cut-out piece of drywall or a removed switch plate) to a dedicated paint store like Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore. Their professional spectrophotometer scanners will analyze the hue and mix a custom formula with near-perfect accuracy.
Top 10 Timeless Paint Colors for Your Home
Here are five paint colors that real estate professionals and designers consistently recommend to help homes sell faster and for more:
FAQ About Car Color and Cleanliness
Light-colored cars such as gray, silver, tan, or beige are considered the easiest to keep clean. These colors are typically more reflective, which helps camouflage dirt and other imperfections, giving the car a cleaner look.
Sherwin-Williams and Lowe’s sell different tiers of paint. Sherwin-Williams stores offer professional-grade formulas (e.g., Emerald, Duration) with superior coverage and longevity. Lowe’s exclusively sells the "HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams" line. While cheaper, Lowe's versions feature thinner formulations requiring more coats.
Paintbrushes provide precision and control for cutting in corners and detailed trim, while rollers cover large surfaces like walls and ceilings quickly with an even layer of paint. Most professionals use both: using a brush for edges and tight spots, then a roller for the main open areas.
To make a house feel more spacious, opt for light, airy neutrals and soft, cool tones. These colors reflect the maximum amount of natural light and create an optical illusion that makes walls appear to recede.
Color Match the Current Paint: Bring a 1" x 1" sample of your existing wall color, either from a removed piece of drywall or a scrape from an inconspicuous spot, to a paint store. They should be able to scan and match the aged color more accurately than just using your old paint code.
Overusing bold hues, ignoring contrast and accessibility, and relying too heavily on trends are a few of the most common color theory mistakes. We'll explain why these undermine design goals because small missteps in color choice can affect readability, mood, and user perception.
Sherwin-Williams offers two primary apps to match and visualize paint colors: ColorSnap® Visualizer for homeowners and SherMatch+ (formerly ColorSnap Match) for professionals.