Gray Color For Home Theatre Environment
Dear Gary: Joe Kane recommends a “gray” color for the walls of the home theatre environment. Any recommendations as to a specific paint number or color number for this “gray?”
Bob Todrank, Vice President Sales, Marketing & Business Development American Technology Corp., San Diego, California
Editor Gary Reber Comments:
I use a dark charcoal color in some rooms and a more spouse-friendly light gray: Dunn Edwards Miner’s Dust, in others. Both work well, but I have found that the darker the gray, the better the result in picture quality. Video Technical Editorial Director Joe Kane Comments: The trick is to get the combination of reflective wall surface and light to present a D6500 (Kelvin color temperature) appearance. There are any number of wall colors and light colors that could be made to do this. The most direct approach is to use a paint that Muncell (a color system used to define pigments) calls “Neutral.” That means that it reflects all colors equally. Lighting can then be specified as D65 rather than trying to figure out what light is needed to compensate for the wall being other than neutral. How to specify a paint? Neutral means anything from black to white, as long as it reflects all colors equally. If your paint dealer doesn’t know the Muncell system, it’s time to find a more knowledgeable dealer.
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