Vent: A client in Asheville wanted a 'moss green' that looked like her vacation photos

She showed me pictures from a trip to Ireland, pointing at a specific patch of wet moss on a stone wall. I mixed three different lines, including a Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids green, to get close. The final color was perfect, but it took nearly an hour of custom mixing to match that exact shade. How do you all handle those really specific, non-swatch color requests?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles_sanchez1mo ago

Ugh, that moss green hunt sounds so familiar. Matching a photo, especially something like wet moss with all its depth, is never just a one-bottle job. That hour of custom mixing is totally the real cost right there. I saw @the_joseph mention charging for color archaeology, and honestly, after a session like that, it makes complete sense. You're not just applying color, you're doing custom art to match a memory. It's a huge skill and time investment that a standard color service just doesn't cover.

the_joseph1mo ago

Ever charge extra for color archaeology?

ben_nguyen20d ago

Dude yes, Ive had that convo with clients before. It's wild how much extra work goes into matching a specific old photo or faded sample, and they dont realize it until you break down the mixing time.

-2