Tips on How to Use Sample Paint Colours

An open can of paint colour sample and an array of colour swatches. An open can of paint colour sample and an array of colour swatches.
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Tips on How to Use Sample Paint Colours

Build confidence in the paint colour you will ultimately choose by sampling your colour 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 colour brings to your home. Choose the paint sampling option that works for you.


Benjamin Moore Colour Samples


Display Chips Paint Colour Samples Colour Swatches Peel & Stick Additional Colour Resources
Benjamin Moore Paint Colour 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 colour 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 colour family you’ll eventually choose.
  • Going darker? Lighter? Display Chips are great for seeing different colour values, as they are typically organized by gradations of colour.
  • Stack them up Layering and observing helps you compare nuances in warm vs. cool colours and undertones.
  • Graduate Once you narrow down a few favourites, move to Paint Colour Samples and/or Colour Swatches.

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

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

Paint Colour Samples: Brush Them On

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

Our 236 ml plastic, screw-top Paint Colour Samples:

Tips for Using Benjamin Moore® Paint Colour Samples

  • Brush out at least two coats to get the most accurate colour depiction.
  • Brush directly on your wall, especially if your wall is white or a light neutral—the new colour won't compete against your existing one.
  • Consider brushing on a white foam core board, so you can move the colour around the room throughout the day to see how the colour appears in different lighting.
  • For exterior colour sampling, use white foam core board since liquid samples are formulated for interior use only.
A display of Colour Swatches in varying shades of green paint colours.

Colour Swatches: Tape Them Up

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

  • Paper samples that are larger than Display Chips.
  • 10 cm x 20 cm (4” x 8”) in size, with each swatch dedicated to one paint colour.
  • Available in an eggshell finish.
  • For purchase online only.

Tips for Using Colour Swatches

  • Use painter’s tape to safely adhere the Colour Swatch to the wall.
  • Observe how colours appear in different lighting in both artificial and natural light sources.
  • Compare your colour choices to one another in different light sources as well.
  • Keep your Colour Swatches up for a while for a time-tested approach.

    • Benjamin Moore Peel & Stick Paint Samples - 22.9 x 37.5 cm (9” x 14.75”)

    Peel & Stick Paint Samples

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

    • Reusable and movable from wall to wall, and room to room
    • Available in every Benjamin Moore paint colour
    • 22.9 x 37.5 cm (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 Colour 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.

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    ADDITIONAL COLOUR RESOURCES

    A screenshot from the Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio™ app shown on a smartphone.

    The Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio™ App

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

    Select paint colours and apply them to photos on your phone, see colours 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 Colour Collections Home

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

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

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



    *Our liquid paint samples are for testing colour 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 colours may shift or fade sooner than expected.

    A selection of Benjamin Moore paint colour samples.

    Buy a Paint Sample

    Test your paint colours from morning to evening, under both natural and artificial lighting conditions.

    A grey and neutral hallway leads to a white staircase.

    See Best-Selling Colours

    Continue your colour exploration with a look at Benjamin Moore's best-selling paint colours.

    Three open fan decks displaying a range of Benjamin Moore Colour Collections.

    Fan Decks

    Explore colour options from the comfort of your home.