Paint Mixing Ratio Calculator
Calculate exact volumes of base paint and tints to mix a custom colour consistently. Essential for tinting your own paint or scaling up a colour you've created.
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Why Ratios Matter?
When mixing custom colours, always record the exact ratio used. Mixing 'a bit of blue and a bit more white' will never reproduce exactly — ratios like 8:1 (white:blue) let you accurately remake the same colour in any batch size.
What should I know about Keeping Records?
Note: the brand and product line of each paint, the exact colour names and codes, the ratio, and the batch size. Store a small test card with the dried paint alongside your notes. Even a 10% variation in ratio can produce noticeably different results.
What's the key thing to understand about Colour Theory Basics?
Adding white (tinting lighter) changes value but can shift the hue. Adding complementary colours dulls a tone. Small amounts of dark colours dramatically change lighter ones — add dark to light, not light to dark. Start with less tint than you think — it's easier to add than remove.
What should I know about Light, Colour and Room Feel?
Paint colour interacts with natural light in ways that change how a mixed colour actually looks once it's on the wall versus in a tester pot. North-facing rooms get cool, flat, consistent light all day, which makes colours look slightly duller and cooler than expected — warm colours (creams, warm greys, soft yellows) usually compensate well. South-facing rooms get warm, strong light that can wash out pale colours and intensify saturated ones, so a colour that looks subtle on a north wall can look much bolder on a south-facing one. Artificial lighting matters too: warm LED bulbs (2700-3000K) enhance reds, oranges and yellows but can make blues and greens look slightly muddy; cool LED bulbs (4000K+) do the reverse. Always test a mixed colour on the actual wall, in the room, at different times of day, before committing to a full tin — a colour that looks perfect on a sunny afternoon can look completely different under evening artificial light.