How To Make/Buy Pure Grey Paint?

**Ellis Vener** · 25-Jan-2002, 13:01

Will you be color balancing the lighting in the room as well? "Neutral" gray is only going to be neutral gray if the ambient lighting is balanced to your monitor as well, assuming you are talking about a room for digital work. Most of the rooms I've been in where this work is done are neutral in tone but have very subdued ambient lighting -- and the monitors are carefully tuned with products like the products from <A HREF = http://www.colorcal.com. ColorVision</A>.

**Erik The Viking** · 25-Jan-2002, 17:30

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**Ellis Vener** · 25-Jan-2002, 20:42

Geez talk about a misguided answer! I'm sorry Bill, for some weird reason I thought you were wanting to paint the room you were working in, not painting a reference subject. Sorry to waste your time.

**Bill Glickman** · 26-Jan-2002, 05:39

Thats OK Ellis, even you are allowed a mistake once in awhile :-). It sounds like Erik is on the right path... someone seems to have pre made such a paint. It takes the guess work out. I would love to find that source and just buy some. Erik, it looks like you tried to post, but then we got nothing?

**Erik The Viking** · 26-Jan-2002, 14:52

Err, sorry, Bill, I was just trying to be a wise ass and closing off the HTML tags.

First, www.gretagmacbeth.com has some useful information. Then. I followed its links to one of its re-sellers: www.chromix.com . Gretag Macbeth has a Colour Checker DC for $279, Ouch! Perhaps it is just what you are looking for.

Gretag Macbeth mentions Munsell N 7 as being a neutral grey tone to eliminate colour viewing errors in its light booths. www.creativepro.com mentioned Munsell N 8 as neutral so there is some slight difference there.

I guess your best bet to mix your own patch would be to look for a graphic arts supply shop or production house or a prepress house. The Munsell colour system is the de facto standard used to define colour in the prepress world.

**Erik The Viking** · 26-Jan-2002, 14:57

I am sorry. I missed this out. Pantone provides colour swatches with the corresponding Munsell number. If you go to a graphic arts supply house, just ask to borrow the Pantone swatch book. You should be able to find Munsell N 7 or N 8 or whatever value of grey that you need. It may not be as accurate as a gretag macbeth one due to the print quality but it is can come close enough.