Color Visualizers | Useful Online Tools & Apps for Paint Color Selection

Choosing a color for your walls has never been easier thanks to paint apps and online tools. Sherwin-Williams, Behr and Benjamin Moore are just three of the companies that offer tools to help you decide on a hue, and all prove simple to use. Let's take a look at each.

Sherwin-Williams Color Snap - This app for the iPhone, Blackberry and Android allows you to take an image of a color and match it to one of the company's more than 1,500 paint colors. You can then browse Sherwin-Williams' entire inventory to create a custom palette that complements your captured color. Detailed information about the palette you create can be saved to a library or shared via Facebook and email.

Benjamin Moore Color Capture - The app from this company favors iPhone and iPad users, but it also makes a version for those with an Android. The iPhone version allows photo matching, sharing and creating of a custom palette using Benjamin Moore paint colors, while the Android app allows only for photo matching and searching of the company's inventory.



Behr ColorSmart - If you have an iPhone, iPad or Android, you can download this app to find, coordinate, and preview a Behr paint color. It also offers photo matching and the ability to preview colors in different rooms and styles using touch-and-tap technology. You can save colors, room images, and calculations to your account and share via Facebook and twitter.

All three of these apps, naturally, allow you to find a store near you at which you can pick up your new paint colors or seek further help with choosing the right colors for your rooms. All are free and work on both Mac and PC.

In terms of online paint color visualizers for your desktop or laptop, each of these companies offers one. Sherwin-Williams Color Visualizer, Behr Paint Your Place and Benjamin Moore Personal Color Viewer all allow you to upload a photo of the room you plan to paint, then apply different paint colors to the walls with a simple drag and drop action. The Sherwin-Williams and Behr tools require you to download the program, plus install other programs such as Flash and Java, while the Benjamin Moore features can be used both online and through the downloaded program.

These are just three of the paint companies that provide apps and online tools for choosing paint colors. To decide which to use, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I prefer one particular paint product to another?
  If you do, use that company's app or online tool as they all stack up pretty evenly.
• Do I have a Blackberry?
  If you do, well, then your answer will be Sherwin-Williams or another company that caters to Blackberry, unless you want to use an online program.
• Do I mind downloading an app or online tool?
  If not, all options remain open. If so, Benjamin Moore proves your best bet.

If you still can't choose from among them, try all three to see which one you prefer. Once you have created your custom palette, head to the corresponding paint store for sample-size cans of paint. You can either apply the paint directly to your walls or purchase paint boards that you can apply the color to and place against the walls. Remember to look at the paint throughout the day, so you can see how the different levels of light change the appearance of the paint color. At this point, you should bring in your professional painter so he can provide any additional information you might need to make your final choice.