Custom Colour Matching

Colour agreed as a physical reference, not a name. Most finish problems on bespoke lighting start with a word rather than a number: “gold” means something different to every supplier, and a screen is not a sample. On a PALERILL project the colour is fixed as a reference, sprayed onto the actual substrate, and signed off before the fixture is built.

What to send us

Reference you already have	What to send
RAL Classic or RAL Design	The RAL number, plus the sheen you want
Pantone	The code and which library it belongs to — TCX (textile), TPX or PMS
NCS	The NCS notation
A paint brand colour	Brand, product line and colour code
A physical sample	Post us the sample, or photograph it in daylight beside a sheet of white paper
A photograph of an existing piece	The photograph, plus the material you believe it is made from

Surface treatment and sheen

Colour and surface are quoted together, because sheen changes how a colour is read more than the code does. A matte and a high-gloss sample of the same RAL can look like two different colours in the same room.

Surface	How it reads	Typical use
Matte	Low reflection; colour reads closest to the reference itself	Modern and minimal interiors, dark tones
Gloss	Mirror-like; reflections dominate and the colour shifts with the room	Statement pieces and lacquer finishes
Brushed metal	Directional grain under a satin surface; the tone stays metal, not paint	Stainless steel and brass frames
Polished metal	High reflectivity with a true metal appearance	Chrome and polished brass detailing

Which surface is available depends on the part and the base material. We confirm the exact process in your quotation rather than promising a combination the metal cannot take.

What we cannot match

We would rather set this out before you order than after delivery:

• Anodised aluminium cannot be repainted to an exact match. Anodising is a dye taken into the metal rather than a coating on top of it, and metallic references cannot be reproduced faithfully by spraying over it.
• Metallic and pearlescent references shift with viewing angle, so a sprayed panel will not sit identically under every light source.
• Wood grain and natural stone cannot be colour-matched — only their overall tone can be guided.
• Crystal and glass tints are made in batches. They can be guided to a reference but not matched to a printed code with laboratory accuracy.
• A screen is not a sample. Every colour decision lands on a physical reference or an approved panel.

How the process runs

1. Send the reference. Give us the code or sample, the parts it applies to, and the quantity you need.
2. We confirm feasibility and quote. You receive the finish process we will use, the price, and whether a minimum quantity applies to that colour.
3. We produce a spray-out panel. A physical sample of your colour, on the real substrate, in the sheen you selected, is made in the workshop.
4. You approve the panel. The panel is sent to you, or photographed in daylight against a neutral card if you would rather move faster. Nothing enters production until you approve it in writing.
5. Production. The approved panel is kept against the batch through finishing, and the reference is recorded on your approval drawing set.
6. Dispatch. You receive photographs of the finished piece before it is packed.

Cost and lead time

A custom colour carries a one-off set-up cost for the spray-out panel and a per-unit finishing cost, both quoted before you commit to anything. It also adds time to the schedule, because panel approval sits between the quotation and the start of production. Custom colour is quoted per project; minimum quantities may apply, and the revised production and delivery dates are confirmed in your quotation.

Send a colour reference on WhatsApp, or email airmorrowlighting@gmail.com with the code and a photograph of the reference.