How do I Distinguish a Pale Pink Color From White?

Light can alter color.

Color can be tough to read, and distinguishing between close shades is difficult under certain circumstances. Sometimes it's a challenge when you're looking for a perfect match for a repair, or need to match a couple of decor elements.To distinguish between a pale pink and white is a special task. Often what we call white in terms of house paint has a lot more than white in it. For example, antique white, a common interior color, already has a touch of pink. Furthermore, color is affected by light and by what is around it. Isolate your colors so you can really read them.

Instructions

1. Get into the sunlight. The natural orange tinge of incandescent light and the hint of green in fluorescent light, can keep you from seeing the true color. Sunlight is clearest light. For that reason it's called full spectrum. An overcast day is best for this. There will be less glare.

2. Use a neutral background. Our eyes react to color, and what is around the color modifies our perception of it. For example, a red surface makes an adjacent one look greener to our eye. Remove this problem by using a white or, at the darkest, light gray background. These shades have no color component. Black or dark gray will create too much contrast and could hinder your evaluation. Make sure the background is pattern-free.

3. Eliminate gloss on the surfaces. Glare from gloss can make color judging more difficult. If the colors are not matte, and you can't alter the finish, place the colors so there is less reflected light from the surfaces, or view them from a slight angle.

4. Evaluate your color. Under these conditions, any pink hue should show clearly, and the pink shade will be slightly darker. If not, you may not be working with a pure white.

References

• Color Matters: Color Theory
• "Interaction of Color"; Josef Albers; 1975