How to Use Paint Color Samples

An open can of paint color sample and an array of color swatches.

Build confidence in the paint color you'll ultimately choose by sampling color choices at home.

Benjamin Moore offers a range of paint samples so you can eliminate the stress of wrong choices, and instead—focus on the transformative power that a fresh coat of color brings to your home. Choose the paint sampling option that works for you.

Benjamin Moore Color Samples

Display Chips Paint Color Samples Color Swatches Peel & Stick Additional Color Resources

Benjamin Moore Paint Color Display Chips

Display Chips: In-Store & Readily Available

Available for free from your local Benjamin Moore store, Display Chips are how most homeowners get started on their color search.

Tips for Using Display Chips

Pull and play Cut them, fold them, leave them on your walls…use Display Chips to narrow down which color family you’ll eventually choose.
Going darker? Lighter? Display Chips are great for seeing different color values, as they are typically organized by gradations of color.
Stack them up Layering and observing helps you compare nuances in warm vs. cool colors and undertones.
Graduate Once you narrow down a few favorites, move to Paint Color Samples, Color Swatches, and/or Peel-and-Stick samples.

While Display Chips may be Benjamin Moore’s smallest color swatches, they remain a vital starting point for narrowing down color.

An open Benjamin Moore paint color sample and a paintbrush against a light green canvas.

Paint Color Samples: Brush Them On

Benjamin Moore^® Paint Color Samples, available in 3,500+ colors, help you confidently test and choose a paint color you'll love. Liquid samples are real paint but remember that they are for interior paint color representation only, not for your final painting project.*

Our 8 oz. plastic, screw-top Paint Color Samples:

Cover approximately one 2'x2', two-coat area
Come in an interior, eggshell finish.
Are available through your locally owned retailer or online.

Tips for Using Benjamin Moore Paint Color Samples

Brush out at least two coats to get the most accurate color depiction.
Brush directly on your wall, especially if your wall is white or a light neutral—the new color won't compete against your existing one.
Consider using a white foam core board, so you can move the color around the room throughout the day to see it in different lighting.
For exteriors, use white foam board since liquid samples are formulated for interior use only.

A display of Color Swatches in varying shades of green paint colors.

Color Swatches: Tape Them Up

If you don’t want to paint, a Color Swatch is a great alternative to Paint Color Samples. A quick and easy way to view paint color, Color Swatches are…

Paper samples that are larger than Display Chips.
4” x 8” in size with each swatch dedicated to one paint color.
Available in an eggshell finish.
For purchase online only.

Tips for Using Color Swatches

Use painter’s tape to safely adhere the Color Swatch to the wall.

Observe how colors appear in different lighting in both artificial and natural light sources.

Compare your color choices to one another in different light sources as well.

Keep your Color Swatches up for a while for a time-tested approach.

Benjamin Moore Peel-and-Stick Paint Samples - 9x14.75

Peel & Stick Paint Samples

Peel & Stick color samples provide a worry-free approach to selecting the perfect hue. An easy way to view large swaths of color on your walls, Peel & Stick color samples are…

Reusable and movable from wall to wall, and room to room
Available in every Benjamin Moore paint color
9" x 14.75" in size
Available for purchase on the Benjamin Moore Online Store only (please note: Peel & Stick samples are not available at Benjamin Moore retail locations)
Produced by Samplize using Benjamin Moore paint

Tips for Using Peel & Stick Color Samples

Move your sample around the room to see how the hue looks on each wall.

Wrap around edges to understand how the color looks in light and dark corners. This is a great way to view the color from multiple angles and in different lighting all at once.

MORE COLOR SAMPLING TIPS

Get the Right Angle

Don’t physically look down on Display Chips or Color Swatches—hold them up against the wall. Ceilings? Same concept—look up for the best color representation.

Add a White Border

Place your Display Chip or Color Swatch against a white piece of paper to make sure the existing color doesn’t influence how your sample color appears.

Amplify Your Color Samples

Observing a larger swath of color is important to your decision-making. Benjamin Moore Color Samples help you see a truer, more robust representation of color.

MORE COLOR SAMPLING TIPS

1

Get the Right Angle

Don’t physically look down on Display Chips or Color Swatches—hold them up against the wall. Ceilings? Same concept—look up for the best color representation.

Add a White Border

Place your Display Chip or Color Swatch against a white piece of paper to make sure the existing color doesn’t influence how your sample color appears.

Amplify Your Color Samples

Observing a larger swath of color is important to your decision-making. Color Swatches or Paint Color Samples help you see a truer, more robust representation of color.

Additional Color Resources

The Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio™ App

Try out colors virtually with the free Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio™ app.

Select paint colors and apply them to photos on your phone, see colors in real time with the Video Visualizer, browse interactive fan decks, and more!

A Benjamin Moore fan deck sitting on a table featuring the Off White Collection, Designer Classics, and others.

Fan Decks: Take Color Collections Home

A fan deck lets you peruse hundreds of Benjamin Moore paint colors from the comfort of your home. In fact, each Benjamin Moore fan deck gives you convenient access to a world-class Benjamin Moore Color Collection, including Affinity®, Benjamin Moore Classics®, Historical, Color Preview®, Off White Collection and more.

You can have fan decks shipped to your home, or opt to buy directly from your favorite Benjamin Moore retailer.

Need more inspiration? Download a color brochure, sample our best-selling colors and Color a Room in any one of our 3,500+ paint colors. Check out our article on How to Choose Interior Paint for additional help.

*Our liquid paint samples are for testing color only; they do not contain the performance enhancing components found in our regular paints. Since we do not test sample paint for long term performance, the colors may shift or fade sooner than expected.