Color Theory and Color Matching Flashcards

What is 'metamerism' in paint color matching?

Answer: Two colors that match under one light source but differ under another

Metamerism occurs when two colors appear to match under one type of lighting (e.g., fluorescent) but look different under another (e.g., daylight).

A painter needs to lighten a custom mixed color without changing its hue significantly. The best approach is to add:

Answer: White base or white tint

Adding white base or white tint increases the value (lightness) of a color while keeping the hue relatively stable.

On a standard color wheel, which color is the complement of orange?

Answer: Blue

Orange and blue are complementary colors, positioned directly opposite each other on the standard RYB color wheel.

When a client specifies a paint color using an LRV (Light Reflectance Value) of 85, the color is:

Answer: Very light, reflecting most light

LRV ranges from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (pure white); a value of 85 indicates a very light color that reflects 85% of light.

A split-complementary color scheme differs from a complementary scheme because it:

Answer: Uses the two colors adjacent to the complement instead of the complement itself

A split-complementary scheme uses a base color plus the two hues on either side of its direct complement, offering contrast with more variety than a simple complementary pair.

Which pigment type tends to offer the greatest lightfastness (resistance to fading) in exterior paints?

Answer: Inorganic mineral pigments

Inorganic mineral pigments such as titanium dioxide and iron oxides resist UV degradation far better than organic dyes or fluorescent pigments.

When using a spectrophotometer to match a paint color, the device measures:

Answer: The spectral reflectance of the surface across wavelengths of light

A spectrophotometer measures how much light is reflected at each wavelength across the visible spectrum, providing precise color data for accurate matching.