B&Q's colour matching of paint

[Windmill]

Usually they're fairly accurate, but I just bought 5 litres whose colour is almost exactly correct when first applied, but which then dries to a much lighter shade. Usually emulsion paint *darkens* as it dries.

It's not just a little bit different, it's very much different.

Anyone know what they might have done wrong?

I'm planning to paint a test strip, let it dry, then take back the strip and the paint. But it would be good to know possible causes of the error. Could it just be the right combination of dyes, but simply too little of them?

[The Medway Handyman]

Magnolia doesn't, it goes lighter.

[Dave Liquorice]

Pure Brilliant White as well. I'd say all the pale lighter shades go lighter as they dry.

[Bob Minchin]

Are you sure you mixed it fully?

[chris French]

The OP says 'colour matching' in the post subject, this suggests that they used the colour matching service - where they scan an item and then try to match a colour to it. Rather than them just picking from one of the colour swatches. We've had that done before and as the OP said the final dry colour is a pretty good match for the finished colour(not perfect, the are limits to what it can manage, but certainly a good match).

My guess is that either for some reason the machine can't mix a good match or that the scanner didn't pick up the right colour for some reason.

worth I think taking a painted strip back to the store and see if they will redo it.

[RJH]

Indeed.

Also, I was urged to buy the same batch recently lest matching issues arose. I couldn't be bothered and as it arose, there's no difference to my eye between Dulux, Crown and Wickes magnolia. They're completely interchangable and I've even filled missed bits with no sign of overlap .

[Chris J Dixon]

I wonder if somehow the machine was programmed with the wrong tin size?

Chris

[charles]

the ones I've seen weigh the tin to know they have the right size. More possible is that the wrong base tin was used.

[Peter Johnson]

When I worked for Crown the scanner used then had problems with dark reds/maroons. A would-be customer got very upset with me when he asked 'Can you match colours?' and I started my answer 'Yes, but ...' because he wanted a yes/no answer and I wasn't prepared to give him one.

[Windmill]

For 40 quid for 5 litres of allegedly colour-matched paint, I'll certainly be taking it back :-(

The annoying thing is that the match *is* perfect - when the paint is still wet. Usually they seem able to adjust for colour changes while drying, but not this time.

[Windmill]

I've used a lot of magnolia in the past, but the wall is a matt medium green (30 year old paint, at a guess). The stuff sold to me dries a pastel green.

[Windmill]

Brilliant! I think you've hit on it.

The young lady said she would sell me two 2.5 litre tins on special, then found they were out of that tin size, so sold me one 5 litre tin instead.

[Windmill]

Can't remember specific examples, but I think I've been on both sides of that sort of 'discussion'. I've been around long enough to know there are damn few absolutes, but some people won't accept "probably close enough" or "Probably not" as an answer. And sometimes when I wanted someone to say "likely, though no guarantee" the person wouldn't say that - presumably too scared after some earlier incident.