SMARTPHONE CHOOSES PAINT COLOURS: Let Your Electronics Help You Out

One painting contractor I know does both residential and commercial work, but he tells me he much prefers commercial because there’s far less indecision from clients. One small but annoying source of indecision is paint colours, and that’s where something called the Nix Mini Color Sensor can help. It’s a tiny, wireless device that lets your smartphone “see” existing colours and offer intelligent colour recommendations. Charge the Nix Mini with a USB cord, download the app, then pair the thing with your phone wirelessly. Any time you want to record an existing colour as a basis for an exact match or pleasing contrast, just place the Wix Mini eye-side-down, then hit the scan button on your phone. In a second or two the colour is scanned and recorded, with specific paint suggestions automatically generated. You can share these colours to any phone, you can choose from all major paint colour codes, and see their corresponding paint chips and paint availability online. Look further into the app and you’ll find colour suggestions including monochromatic, complementary, analogous, split complementary, triadic and more. The Nix Mini costs about $100 and makes more sense for a homeowner than the more expensive Nix Pro Color Sensor.

Need more help choosing paint colours? Click here for a detailed lesson on what makes nice colour parings and what makes for bad ones. There’s more to it than just personal taste.