[Kathleen]

Ok, I am not a real adventurous painter. What I mean is that I don't venture to far into the color palette beyond beige's and whites. Well, on my first try to go some where beyond those mainstays I was hit with the title of my post.

We looked over the cards, lots of cards and combinations, and more cards. We finally pick some colors and go to get them mixed and the paint guy says, "You realize that the paint will dry darker than these colors you picked." So I tell him, these are the colors I want when the paint dries and show him my cards again. We go back and forth for 5 minutes. He finally says that he can reduce the tint so that the colors should be close to the cards.

So here's my question, why do they make those little cards if you can't actually get the colors on the cards? Then my next question is, with all the computer technology that controls the mixing of the paint, why can't they give me the color on the cards that I want?

[ladtk]

I really have no idea why its not done like this to start with. And it has confused me before as well, I ended up with a room so dark it looked "Goth" and thats exactly what my MIL said when she saw it too.

[alygirl]

My husband worked as a painter for years and that was the complaint he heard most often. No matter how many times you tell someone that the paint is going to dry darker or that dark colors will make your rooms look smaller they usually don't believe it till they see it.

[Mel]

I brought a sky blue paint last year and went nuts with it all over the house. I painted a feature wall in my bedroom with it, then proceeded to paint the bathroom as well after making the decision I had more than enough paint. Sure enought I ran out.

I went down to the store to get some more, gave them the exact color and thought I'd be out of their in an instant.

Half an hour later of debating I wasn't able to buy that color in that brand he said fine I'll do it, but it's your fault if you got it wrong and you won't be able to get a refund.
I was thinking of getting him to mix a huge tub up and then take it back when I got home and double checked I was right, with a color most people would think is horrible, then they'd have trouble selling it. Well I was nice and only got what I needed, then came back 15 mins later with the old can and new one he'd just mixed up. You should of seen his face. He must of thought stupid woman doesn't know about paint and brands.

I was right.....

[Allie]

I've never had this trouble. When we're in the store locally, they put a dab onto a card and dry it with a blow dryer (yes the kind you dry your hair with). If it's darker then they mix again until they get it right. As a matter of fact, I wind up buying other cans of paint the store mixed and didn't get right. I get it for about half price and I've done several of my rooms in "cheap" expensive brand paint.