Joe

What you state makes it particularly impossible to pick paint colors online unless you are good with slight to significant differences. Online paint is less expensive and you can get quality brands that may not be available locally so I do it. The paint chip which is sprayed out from the actual paint may have some small margin of error. Then somebody photographs it and scans it to a website introducing more error. Then you view it on your monitor with your vision that may not be perfect. I still do it knowing the risk and mostly the results have been satisfactory, but it is a real good idea to grab a paint code off a vehicle you can actually view when it's an option.

I actually found a an online vendor that will allow you to do a small test spray panel and return the gallon of paint with no restocking fee if you don't like it. Returning mixed paint is unheard of. I'm guessing that is a result of folks not getting what they expected.

 

I know looking at paint chips in a book that are only 1 inch square makes it very difficult to decide to, like you say finding a vehicle and getting the paint code is one of the best ideas.

 

And when looking at a paint chip, it makes a difference if the background color is neutral as well. It's not easy to match colors without a spectrophotometer.

 

My body shop supply jobber has various cards on the wall covered with speed shapes painted the colors offered by paint vendors. It makes it nice to take one off the card out in the sunlight to see how it looks, especially on a car shape with curves. When a customer comes to me wanting a paint job I will sometimes spray up a speed shape for them to give them a better idea of what the paint will look like...here is a pic of one I did for someone. He thought it was too "sparkley", I ended up liking it and painted my 40 Ford coupe that color. It is sparkley!

 

That is nice Charlie, are most of the colors offered in your area water based now. Shops around here will only spray that now.

 

The speed shapes are better. They don't help me much with shades of red. But they are much better at representing a metallic IMO.