How to Match Paint Colors Across Different Manufacturers

There is no perfect cross-brand match. Every paint manufacturer uses their own pigments, bases, and formulas. You can get close, but "Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Benjamin Moore White Dove" doesn't actually exist. Here's how to get the closest match and when to stop chasing perfection.

I learned this doing a renovation where half the house had existing Benjamin Moore paint and the client wanted to extend it into new rooms using Sherwin-Williams (their painter's preference). Spent hours finding the "equivalent" colors online. Painted them side by side. Not even close. Same color name on the can, completely different on the wall.

Why perfect matches don't exist

Different pigment systems

Every manufacturer sources and formulates pigments differently. Benjamin Moore's red oxide isn't the same as Sherwin-Williams' red oxide. These subtle differences compound when mixing complex colors.

Different bases

The white base paint that gets tinted varies by brand. Some are brighter, some warmer, some have different sheens even at the "same" finish level.

Proprietary formulas

Color formulas are trade secrets. When Brand A "matches" Brand B's color, they're reverse-engineering from a physical sample, not using the original recipe.

Metamerism

Two paints might look identical under store lighting but different in your home. Different pigment combinations reflect light wavelengths differently.

The best approach: physical sample matching

Forget online conversion charts. They're starting points at best.

Step 1: Get the physical chip

If you have the original paint:

• Cut a chip from an inconspicuous spot
• Get a paint can lid with dried paint
• Pull the original chip from their files if possible

Step 2: Take it to the store

Most major paint stores have spectrophotometers that scan colors and create formulas. This is more accurate than any conversion chart because it's measuring the actual color, not guessing from a name.

Step 3: Get a sample

Never buy a gallon on the first match. Get a sample pot or test quart. Paint a large patch (at least 12" x 12") on the actual wall.

Step 4: Compare under real conditions

View the sample:

• In morning light
• In afternoon light
• Under artificial light at night
• Next to the original color if possible

Step 5: Adjust if needed

If the first match isn't right, take both samples back. Most stores can adjust the formula by adding small amounts of tint.

Common cross-brand scenarios

Benjamin Moore to Sherwin-Williams

The two most popular premium brands in the US. Their whites are notoriously different. Benjamin Moore tends warmer, Sherwin-Williams often cooler.

Close matches (not perfect):

Behr to major brands

Behr (Home Depot exclusive) has different pigment loading than contractor-grade paints.

Considerations:

• Behr colors often appear more saturated in small chips
• Test larger samples, colors can look different at scale
• Their whites can pull pink or purple compared to other brands

European to American brands

Caparol, Brillux, or Farrow & Ball colors going to Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore? Expect challenges:

• European formulas often have different undertones
• Saturation levels vary a lot
• Get physical samples and do side-by-side comparisons

Using online conversion tools

Online tools like Encyclopedia of Colors, The Paint Color Project, or brand websites offer "equivalents." Use them as starting points, not answers.

What they're good for

• Finding approximate matches to narrow your search
• Getting color family suggestions
• Identifying similar tones across brands

What they're bad for

• Exact matching (no such thing exists)
• Critical color matching for touch-ups
• Legal or brand specifications

My process

1. Use online tool to find 3-5 potential matches
2. Get physical chips for all of them
3. Compare chips to original under project lighting
4. Sample the closest one on the wall
5. Adjust from there

Special cases

Touch-up matching

If you're touching up existing paint with a different brand, you're fighting an uphill battle. Even small color differences become obvious when painted next to each other.

Better approach:

• Feather to a natural breaking point (corner, trim line)
• Paint an entire wall if possible
• Accept that seamless touch-ups across brands don't happen

Historic colors

Trying to match a historic Benjamin Moore color that's been discontinued? Or a Farrow & Ball color using domestic paint?

• Get a physical sample if any exists
• Have it scanned and custom-matched
• Accept some variation
• Document the custom formula for future touch-ups

Brand-specific colors

Some colors are iconic to specific brands:

• Benjamin Moore White Dove: A warm white with a specific character
• Farrow & Ball Hague Blue: A deep teal with particular undertones
• Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray: A greige with a specific balance

Matching these with other brands? You'll get close but not exact. If the specific character matters, use the original brand.

When to just use the original brand

Sometimes cross-brand matching isn't worth the effort:

Use original when:

• Client specifically requested that exact color
• Touching up existing work
• Color is distinctive or iconic
• Brand quality matters for the application
• Matching to other elements already installed

Cross-brand is fine when:

• Starting fresh with no existing paint
• Color is a common neutral
• Price or availability is a factor
• Painter has strong brand preference and result is acceptable

Documentation

When you do cross-brand matching, document everything:

• Original color (brand, name, code)
• Matched color (brand, name, code)
• Store where matched
• Date matched
• Any custom formula adjustments
• Photos comparing the two under different lighting

This saves a lot of time if you need to rematch or touch up later.

Close enough is the goal

Cross-brand color matching is always an approximation. The closer to white or neutral, the easier. The more saturated or complex the color, the harder.

Process: Physical sample → spectrophotometer scan → test sample → evaluate under real conditions → adjust if needed.

Online conversion charts are starting points only. Your eyes under actual project lighting are the final judge.

And if the exact color matters that much, use the original brand. Sometimes that's the right answer.