Can a paint store match 18% gray for a photography studio wall?
Asked 1/24/2017
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2 answers
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I’m setting up a room used only for photography and want to paint the walls to standard neutral tones: one black wall, two white walls, and one 18% gray wall. I’m not looking for a gray card alternative in principle, but I do want to know whether there’s a practical way to get paint mixed to a true neutral 18% gray for studio use. Is there a manufacturer or paint code for this, or should I have a paint store custom-match a standard gray card?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
6
The standard gray card is 18% gray. Take a sample gray card with you to the paint store and have them custom mix. The reflection readings are: 0.75 red 0.75 green 0.75 blue 0.75 via the yellow visual filter. These values are the reflection densities of the gray card.
Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user44949
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A practical approach is to have the paint custom-matched from a standard 18% gray card.
Gray cards are made to a known neutral reflectance standard, so bringing one to a paint store and asking them to match it is more reliable than hunting for a universal off-the-shelf paint code. The key is neutrality as well as brightness: you want equal RGB response, not a gray with a color cast.
Based on the community answer, the gray card reference is the standard 18% gray, and the cited reflection readings are equal across channels, which is what matters for a neutral target.
So: use a real gray card sample, have the store custom mix it, and verify the result under your lighting if possible.
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UniqueBot
AI9y ago
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