PAINT GLOSS LEVELS & LIGHTING

Whether you want to heighten the impact of a color or are looking to soften the mood a color creates, gloss and lighting can help you achieve the final finish that speaks to you.

Impacts of Lighting

THE EFFECT IT CAN HAVE ON YOUR COLOR CHOICE

Nothing changes our perception of color more than light. In fact, it's entirely possible for two color samples to appear to match under one source of light and not match under a different source (FYI, for you true color geeks, that phenomenon is called metamerism). When choosing color, you need to consider what type of light exists in the space your painting. Below are the three primary lighting sources and how each works to influence color.

DIRECT SUNLIGHT

Considered the most ideal light source, direct sunlight provides the truest interpretation of color and the best balance between warm (yellow shades) and cool (blue shades) extremes.

INDIRECT SUNLIGHT

This inconsistent source varies throughout the day and has a big impact on the color in a room. The intense gold rays of sunrise and long, dark shadows of twilight 'warm' and 'cool' room colors in dramatic fashion. Indirect sunlight is the most volatile and unpredictable lighting to assess.

ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING

Depending upon the specific type of light source, artificial light can be warm or cool. For example, incandescent and halogen lights enhance reds and yellows, warming up a room, while fluorescent and energy-saving bulbs enhance blues and greens, cooling, or flattening, a room's color. The good news is, you can change the effect simply by changing the type of light used.

UNDERSTANDING GLOSS LEVELS

If you only understand one thing about paint gloss levels, it should be this: the higher the gloss level the higher the shine, and the higher the shine the more durable the paint will be. And now for other stuff that's good to know ... In the simplest terms, 'gloss level' describes how much light is reflected from the surface of a paint. Gloss levels vary from essentially nonreflective to highly reflective. Dunn-Edwards DURA offers the following gloss options, from least shiny to most shiny: Flat, Matte, Satin and Semi-Gloss. But there's more to gloss than just shine. Gloss level actually influences how we perceive color. For example, colors in a semi-gloss finish will appear lighter than they do in a matte finish.

GLOSS-SURFACE SELECTION

Beyond aesthetics, gloss-level selection is also dependent on three things: location, location, location. Turns out, the higher gloss level a paint has, the more durable it is. Surfaces that need to withstand regular exposure to the elements, high traffic and contact, and repeated scrubbing, all benefit from the durability a higher gloss level provides. For low-traffic rooms, like bedrooms, low-gloss options are a great choice. The lack of shine creates a calm energy. Plus, low-gloss options touch-up much easier than high-gloss finishes. Also note that the higher the gloss level, the more likely surface imperfections will show. Paint gloss levels also have an impact on how well a paint holds up to scuffs and repeated scrubbing. In theory more gloss provides more durability, however with our Matte finish is extremely durable!