Asked on Mar 09, 2012

I am searching for a paint color by Valspar that has been discontinued. My chips don't match, and Valspar site no help.

Penny C
by Penny C

Any suggestions how to get the correct mix? It is a few years old, and the original is on the walls, but no can left. Valspar 4002 1 blue balance. I have tried figuring out how to match paint with Behr, Valspar, and Taylors new paint. No luck so far. Everyone says I need to original mix.


  9 answers
  • 3po3 3po3 on Mar 09, 2012
    I have always had good luck with paint matching at Sherwin-Williams. You might try taking a paint chip there.
  • Penny, Do you remember the name of the Valspar color? or you could take a picture of the wall color with Sherwin Williams color snap app through your iphone and ask SW to match the colors for you. SW does a very good job at matching colors. They recently match almost charcoal grey Valsparcolor for me and it was a 100% match. Hope this helps.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Mar 10, 2012
    I recently pulled a "sample" of the actual wall (near an access panel that covered it) and brought that in to my local paint shop...they scanned it and we got a good match.
  • Penny...good advice from our Hometalkers so far. Try either Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore... both here in town. It is important to understand that even if you found a can of the original, it is feasible the shades would be off a bit..which is why professional painters like Charles (Peace Painting) will mix the cans of paint for a room project so as to assure a more consistent, single color....especially when the cans are mixed at the store one gallon at a time.
  • Penny C Penny C on Mar 10, 2012
    thanks...all great ideas! Thought I might try a picture. I just don't have a color chip available. PSC
  • Penny, If there is a hidden spot on the wall (behind a door..or a piece of furniture down near the floor/baseboard) where you can cut an inch square sample out, that would work...assuming it is a sheetrocked wall. You can repair it later with a little spackle and then touch it up with the new paint.....
  • Penny the picture not so good. Too many points for errors. Lighting, reflected colours on the surface, and camera quality all effect what goes into your camera. Then the way the software handles the digital info, the way the printer interprets it, and how good of an ink mix you get all all variable along the way. If you can take the actuaal colour to either BM or SW paint stores, they have a colour analyzer right there with the right lighting and software to determine the right mix
  • Glkirk Builders Inc. Glkirk Builders Inc. on Mar 10, 2012
    Tim has the right idea. Sometimes there is enough of a piece of painted wall behind a switch or outlet cover to be cut off and used for color/sheen matching.
  • Penny C Penny C on Mar 11, 2012
    Thanks for all your ideas. I went back andthe owner was there and gave me a piece of the original color sample. She also said to come back if that doesn't work and she will let me take a sample from the wall in a hidden spot. Thank you all so much. I will post my wall when it is painted!