Colour Disclaimer

Why Does This Exist?

At DQ Surface Designs, we’ve been dedicated to working with specialist paints and plasters since 2010. Over the years, we’ve introduced a wide range of materials, available in hundreds – if not thousands – of colour options. As our business embraced the digital landscape, we increasingly turned to online platforms to showcase our products. The internet has opened up fantastic opportunities to share our stunning finishes with a broader audience, allowing us to bring our beautiful designs to more people than ever before.

However, as we promoted our products online more regularly, we encountered a significant challenge that seems surprisingly unique to our industry: achieving true colour accuracy.

We’ve explored various methods to capture the depth and vibrancy of our materials – from photographs and scans to painstaking manual adjustments with editing software. Despite our efforts, we continue to refine and adjust colours whenever we find an area for improvement. It’s common to see colour disclaimers on websites selling paints, as companies seek to manage expectations around the visual differences between screen representations and the true colours.

The difficulty of achieving precise colour representation on screens is a broader issue, not one faced only by DQ Surface Designs. This is why most paint companies offer physical colour charts and sample pots. Even these charts, however, often use coatings or lacquers instead of actual paints to give an approximate idea of the colours.

Our Process

We know that colour is the single most crucial factor when choosing paint. That’s why we’ve invested significant time, money, and resources into creating the ideal environment for presenting our online samples in the best possible light.

Our latest colour samples are closer than ever to their real-life versions, thanks to high-end, colour-accurate monitors and the latest software technology. This allows us to deliver images that truly reflect the beauty of our products, bringing each colour as close to reality as possible.

We’ve put a great deal of effort into uploading high-quality images and CGI renderings for each of our products, in each colour option. This process can be complex, especially given that many of our finishes are metallic and therefore highly reflective. Additionally, some colours are “metameric,” meaning they may appear identical at first but can look different under varying lighting conditions. Colour science can be a complex, yet fascinating field!

We’re meticulous about capturing not only the main shade of each colour, but also the finer details: subtle tones, warmth, accent hues, and the balance of black and white within each shade. Our goal is for you to appreciate not just the distinctions between reds and blues, or browns and greys, but to experience the subtle depth within each hue, allowing even the most nuanced shades to stand out.

Why We Should Be Cautious

Despite our best efforts, the reality is that no amount of fine-tuning can fully guarantee that colours will appear exactly as intended on your screen. Numerous factors impact how colours are perceived on digital displays, many of which often go unnoticed. These include:

  • The quality of the screen you’re using
  • Screen brightness levels
  • Colour settings, such as blue light filters
  • Ambient light on the screen, which varies by time of day
  • Room brightness
  • Light interference from surrounding sources
  • Individual colour perception
  • Eye fatigue and tiredness
  • Temporary “colour shadows” from prolonged exposure to different colours
  • Application techniques and tools used

And these are just a few of the variables that can influence colour perception. For these reasons, we cannot guarantee that the colours displayed on our website will be exact matches in real life.

Before You Buy

We understand that decorating projects often come with time pressures. Sometimes, the decorator’s availability is limited to the next few days, a holiday is fast approaching, or there’s a desire to finish before family arrives for a special occasion. These situations can make it challenging to find time to test out colours or materials before making a final decision.

However, we can’t stress enough how essential it is to test any product in your chosen colour before committing to a full order. At DQ Surface Designs, most of our products are custom-made for each order, meaning pigments are added specifically to fulfil each request. Once a bespoke order is placed, it cannot be cancelled, nor can the paint or plaster be returned for a refund.

This becomes a serious issue if a large quantity of product is ordered only to realise later that the colour isn’t right. This can lead to significant financial loss, particularly if a decorator has already been hired and is unable to proceed with the project due to a colour mismatch.

Staying Ahead

To avoid last-minute surprises in your project, here are some tips to help you stay prepared:

  1. Plan Ahead: Begin your research early. This gives you time to order colour charts, which offer the most reliable colour preview compared to digital displays.

  2. Order a Sample: Once you’ve chosen a colour from the chart, purchase a sample if available. Testing the colour in your space helps you see how it responds to different lighting and allows you to assess the feel of the material.

  3. Confirm Before Ordering: Ensure the colour looks right in your intended lighting before placing a full order.

  4. Wait to Book: Only schedule your applicator after the materials have arrived. Delays can occur in production or with couriers, and we can’t be responsible for unexpected time or financial impacts.