Paint color matching and coordinating system

An architectural paint color coordination system for selecting complementary architectural paint colors, comprising:

• an interface for receiving an input reference color;
• a processor configured to perform instructions read from a memory;
• a memory storing instructions and a database of architectural paint colors within a color space, said instructions configured to be read and performed by said processor;
• and
• a display generator;
• wherein said instructions direct said processor to perform the steps of:
• directing said interface to receive an input reference color;
• selecting a reference paint color from said database, said reference paint color being visually closer, with respect to said color space, to said input reference color than all other paint colors within said database, each of said paint colors within said database being located within only one of a plurality of non-overlapping contiguous portions of said color space, each of said color space portions being defined as the space of all colors within a band of hues within said color space, said color space portions spanning all hues in said color space, the number of said color space portions being at least 30;
• determining a first of said color space portions, said first color space portion including a first hue that is one of the hues comprising a five-way harmony of the hue of said reference paint color;
• selecting from said database a first set of architectural paint colors being located within said first color space portion;
• and
• directing said display generator to display color samples of said first set of architectural paint colors.

A method of generating a display of complementary architectural paint color samples, comprising the steps of:

• receiving an input reference color;
• selecting a reference paint color from a database of architectural paint colors within a color space, said reference paint color being closer in hue, value, and chroma to said input reference color than any other color within said database, said reference paint color having a reference hue, a reference value, and a reference chroma, there being for every color in said database a predetermined range of hue, a predetermined range of value, and a predetermined range of chroma, said predetermined ranges including the hue, value, and chroma, respectively, of the color;
• determining a complementary hue that is five-way harmonious with said reference hue;
• selecting from said database a matching complementary color, defined as a color in said database that is closer to said complementary hue, said reference value, and said reference chroma than any other color in said database;
• selecting from said database a first offset color and a second offset color, said first offset color having a hue substantially equivalent to a first endpoint of the predetermined range of hue corresponding to said matching complementary color, said second offset color having a hue substantially equivalent to a second endpoint of the predetermined range of hue corresponding to said matching complementary color, said first and second offset colors having hues within the predetermined range of hue corresponding to said matching complementary color and having value and chroma substantially equal to said reference value and reference chroma, respectively;
• and
• displaying color samples of at least one of said first and second offset colors on one of a display monitor or a hard-copy printout.

A method of generating a display of complementary architectural paint color samples, comprising the steps of:

• receiving an input reference color;
• selecting a reference paint color from a database of architectural paint colors within a color space, said reference paint color being closer in hue, value, and chroma to said input reference color than any other color within said database, said reference paint color having a reference hue, a reference value, and a reference chroma, there being for every color in said database a predetermined range of hue, a predetermined range of value, and a predetermined range of chroma, said predetermined ranges including the hue, value, and chroma, respectively, of the color;
• determining a complementary hue that is five-way harmonious with said reference hue;
• selecting from said database a matching complementary color, defined as a color in said database that is closer to said complementary hue, said reference value, and said reference chroma than any other color in said database;
• selecting from said database a first offset color and a second offset color, said first offset color having a value substantially equal to a first endpoint of the predetermined range of value corresponding to said matching complementary color, said second offset color having a value substantially equal to a second endpoint of the predetermined range of value corresponding to said matching complementary color, said first and second offset colors having values within the predetermined range of value corresponding to said matching complementary color and having hue and chroma substantially equal to said complementary hue and reference chroma, respectively;
• and
• displaying color samples of at least one of said first and second offset colors on one of a display monitor or a hard-copy printout.

A method of generating a display of complementary architectural paint color samples, comprising the steps of:

• receiving an input reference color;
• selecting a reference paint color from a database of architectural paint colors within a color space, said reference paint color being closer in hue, value, and chroma to said input reference color than any other color within said database, said reference paint color having a reference hue, a reference value, and a reference chroma, there being for every color in said database a predetermined range of hue, a predetermined range of value, and a predetermined range of chroma, said predetermined ranges including the hue, value, and chroma, respectively, of the color;
• determining a complementary hue that is five-way harmonious with said reference hue;
• selecting from said database a matching complementary color, defined as a color in said database that is closer to said complementary hue, said reference value, and said reference chroma than any other color in said database;
• selecting from said database a first offset color and a second offset color, said first offset color having a chroma substantially equal to a first endpoint of the predetermined range of chroma corresponding to said matching complementary color, said second offset color having a chroma substantially equal to a second endpoint of the predetermined range of chroma corresponding to said matching complementary color, said first and second offset colors having chromas within the predetermined range of chroma corresponding to said matching complementary color and having hue and value substantially equal to said reference chroma and reference value, respectively;
• and
• displaying color samples of at least one of said first and second offset colors on one of a display monitor or a hard-copy printout.