Our method
How we check every color
Shop Spruce is built on published data and open color science, not on photos or guesswork. Here is exactly where each number comes from.
1. Brand-published values
The color code, hex value, RGB value and LRV come from the paint brand's own published listing. Every color page shows the date we last checked it. When a brand does not publish a value on its own page, we say so in the source line.
2. Undertone and temperature
We convert each color from sRGB to CIELAB, the color space designed to match human vision. In CIELAB, a positive b* means a yellow lean and a negative b* a blue lean; a positive a* means a red or pink lean and a negative a* a green lean. That is how we label a color warm, cool or neutral and name its undertone.
3. Matches and comparisons
Similar colors are ranked by Delta E 2000, the standard formula the paint and print industries use to measure visible difference. Under 2 is a near twin, 2 to 5 is close, above 5 is a different color.
4. Light simulations
The north-light and warm-bulb swatches are calculated adjustments of the published color. They show the direction a color moves, not a photograph of a real room.
5. Advice
The "where it works" and "watch out for" notes are our editorial judgement, based on the numbers above. We never accept payment from paint brands to change a verdict.
Found an error? Tell us and we will check and correct it.