What to look for when requesting a custom color mix? What does it take to make the end result exactly the shade we envisioned and ordered?
Rubio Monocoat wood oils offer a wide range of colors, and these colors can be mixed with each other. Which means we can take advantage of the unique color mixing option, in which our colleagues do their best to create a color that perfectly matches the idea. In this case, our creativity is really limited only by our imagination.
Why "isn't that the color"?
On the other hand, we all feel the feeling when we end up not getting exactly the result we envisioned - whether it’s just a shade or markedly different from our plans, it’s definitely disappointing if not the color of our dreams comes back from the finished wood furniture, wood floor or window, though the sample looked so good. What could be the reason why the mixed color shows differently on the sample and the finished wood surface? How can we avoid this disappointment? The following is a brief summary of the considerations you should consider when requesting a custom color mix from us.
Submission of raw wood sample
For each individual color mix, you may want to submit a raw wood sample. The essence of the raw wood sample is that it is derived from the same wood from which the wood surface to be treated is made or will be made. It is important to send the sample from exactly the same wood from which the furniture or wooden surface is made, not just similar. So, if you’re going to make an oak table, it’s a good idea to send a piece of plank, a small piece of oak, from which to make the table before making it. Our colleagues will mix the requested color for this piece, so the color swatch can be viewed on the wooden surface on which it will be used - this is the closest to what our color will look like on the final object, the wooden surface.
If, in the end, the unique color-mixed wood oil is not applied to the wood surface, not to the wood material that was sent to apply the sample, then the final color may be significantly different from what we saw on the sample, i.e., the color we dreamed of. Even if at first glance, the wood originally intended to be used and the wood actually used in the end look quite similar.
So, if we want to see exactly the color on the finished wooden furniture, on the wooden surface, which we liked in the mixed sample, then we must apply the unique color of wood oil to the same wood and raw material as the sample.
Veneer as a raw wood pattern
It is particularly important that if a unique color mixture of wood oil is to be used on a veneered wood surface, the raw wood sample will be from the same bundle of veneer from which the surface to be treated is or will be made. In the case of veneer, there can be huge differences within wood species, so there can be visible differences between oak and oak, the shades can vary from yellowish, lighter shades to redder darker shades, which affect the overall effect of the final result. If the raw wood sample is not obtained from the same veneer bundle as the one in which it will be used, even if the selected individual color is mixed, the final result may appear to have a different effect. That's when they say, "That's not the color." - but not on the wooden surface it was made for.
Sanding of the raw wood pattern
An equally important factor is the abrasion of the raw wood sample cast. In this article we will already write about how sanding affects the final look, surface treatment and coloring of a wooden furniture, wooden floor, wooden door or any wooden object. That is why it is especially worth paying attention to the fact that the polish of the delivered raw wood sample should be the same as that from which our furniture and wooden surface will be made or has already been made. The same color may look quite different on a sanded wood surface with a grain size of 120 and a grain size of 150. In the case of colored wood oils, the color pigments need an adhesive surface, so if the wood surface is very highly polished, it may be more difficult to color it. In terms of samples, this means that if the raw wood sample sent is 120 sanded and then the finished wood surface and wood furniture is finally 150 sanded, our unique color mix will look quite different on the two wood surfaces, 120 lighter, while A 150-grit wood surface will have a darker shade.
If you pay attention to these factors when placing your order for custom color mixing, you can be sure that you will not be disappointed in the result either. Our colleagues handle each individual color mix with maximum care and precision and do not rest until the desired result is achieved. We have collected our color samples on this page, and if you already have a specific idea, you can place your custom color order here.