Back-Painted Glass Colour Match Expertise
Standard Colour Back-Painted Glass Color Match
Our computerized colour-match system provides the exact colour-match formula for over 200 of North America’s most recognized paint manufacturers.
Some of the largest paint manufacturers we have matches for are The Sherwin-Williams Co., The Valspar Corp., Benjamin Moore, the Behr Process Corp. etc.
Glass Paint Technology has several methods to provide standard colour matches for back-painted glass.
We can provide our customers with premixed glass paint in a colour match. This makes it easy for our customers to receive the paint and trust it will be the correct colour. GPT keeps manual copies of all colours we match so repeatability will never be an issue.
Once our customers become familiar with our back-painted glass paint and process, we can provide formulas so colour matches can be created in their manufacturing facility. This improves turnaround times and control to make only the paint quantity needed for the project. Please Contact Us to learn how to create colour matches in your facility.
Custom Colour Back-Painted Glass Colour Match
Any colour not existing in our system can be easily matched with our state-of-the-art colour measurement system.
Simply send us a sample of the colour you want to be matched and we will provide a colour-match sample or a back-painted glass colour-match sample.
Painted glass samples can be used to show your customer what the colour they have selected will look like through glass
Again, our customer benefits from the consistency and repeatability of our computerized back-painted glass colour match system.
Glass Paint Technology can also match metallics, pearls and other specialty finishes.
If you need special effects samples please Contact Us.
Custom metallics and pearls can be a little tricky.
These colours are greatly depending on the shape and concentration of metallic flakes.
Different flakes bounce light off the glass in different ways, which can make an exact match difficult at times.
How to Pick a Back-Painted Glass Colour
You can identify the colour you want by visiting any paint or home improvement retail location in North America.
You may want to purchase small quantities of paint in the different colours you are considering.
Create some larger painted samples so you can evaluate your colour choice.
You want to see colour options on larger samples because they look darker than the small samples the paint manufacturers provide.
Take the colour samples to the location or room where the back painted glass will be installed and evaluate the colour in natural light conditions at different times of the day and with artificial light (ideally the same artificial light used in the room) like incandescent, fluorescent or LED to name a few.
We also offer special effects glass paint like Metallic, Frosted or Acid Etch.
We also have Translucent finishes with different tints and intensities.
All “Whites” are Not Created Equal
Standard Black and White is available and typically in stock.
If you have a preference for “White” send us a colour code from any of the National Brand paint manufacturers.
This ensures you get exactly the “White” you want.
For example, Sherwin-Williams has 6 Cool Whites and 6 Warm Whites and every one of the 200+ paint manufacturers have their own “White” selection.
So there are hundreds of standard “White” colours available from our 200+ paint manufacturers.
our computer monitor will not give you a true representation of a colour.
Acquire a manufacturer’s sample of your intended colour before you order custom-tinted glass paint.
When choosing a colour, it is also important to keep in mind that the colour on a screen will look different than the colours in person.
The gloss has a big effect on how a colour will appear.
High gloss finishes will reflect a lot of light, meaning the brighter the environment you are viewing the sample, the brighter the light reflection will be, masking the true colour.
If the sample is a matte finish, less light will be reflected and presents a more accurate true colour.
A good way to make sure fluorescent lighting isn’t making your sample appear different is to always view the sample in the sunlight.
Every office or warehouse has slightly different lighting, however, the sun is the same no matter where you are.
When viewing a colour or comparing colours, always make sure you are looking at them in the sunlight for a true representation of the colour.
How Natural and Artificial Light Affects Colour
As you go through the colour selection process it is important to understand how light and colour interact and affect what you “see”.
The colours you see are affected by two main factors:
Light Source – There are many different artificial light sources like incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent lamps and LED (Light Emitting Diode). Artificial light has different colour temperatures. For example, LED tends to look more “White” than traditional incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs traditionally create a “warmer” or yellow light. Natural light changes throughout the day as the position of the Sun changes, clouds, season, room location like North facing or South facing etc.
Colour – Colours look differently because different colours absorb light differently. For example, white does not absorb light but black absorbs all colours and blue absorbs red.
Finally, it is very important to test a back-painted glass sample in the various rooms the finished product will be installed.
Designers and stakeholders need to satisfy themselves that the colours selected will work in the environment.
Glass Type Selection
Use Low-Iron or “Starphire” glass for the best, most optically pleasing result and offer the lowest back-painted glass colour distortion.
It is best practice to use the same glass type for samples as you are for the project.
For example, low-iron glass from different manufacturer sources can create colour variances.
When using off-whites and colours where the tinting is very delicate, this can be the difference in colour being slightly off.
Always use the same glass type and manufacturer for samples as you will use for the job.
Use this checklist as you go through your colour selection process:
Select a colour from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Behr, or any major paint store/brand
Once you select a colour, determine if it is necessary to view it through the glass.
Contact Us to order painted glass samples and provide the colour code, total square footage of the job and type of glass.
Use the painted glass sample to determine colour distortion created by the glass and edit the colour if necessary.
At Glass Paint Technology we work to create the Best Quality when providing our Back Painted Glass Color Match.