How to reproduce an identical colour or effect on wood

Many times the representatives of the factories I work with, and not only them, want me to help them copy a finish they have seen in a magazine, at a trade show or at a competitor's. Some of them need help for their customers. For example, the client already has laminate flooring installed with a certain finish and wants to replicate it on the wood interior staircase wood steps. Every time I tell them that the finish can be reproduced, that the materials and technology are not a problem, but there might be problems because of the wood substrate on which the finish is being done. Even if the finish is reproduced identically on a sample, the final look may be very different from what they want because the nature of the wood substrate, the color, the way the wood is cut, the way it is prepared before finishing have a very big influence on the result.

There are differences in appearance between hardwoods and softwoods, even if they have the same finish

To give you a better understanding of what I am talking about, let me give you some examples. Let's say the finish to be reproduced is on oak and the wood available is spruce (generally softwood).

Even if you reproduce the color identically with a spectrophotometer, the effect will be totally different, especially with a clear finish. Oak is a darker wood, towards gray, is hard and has pores. Spruce is more yellowish, has no pores and is a softer wood.

The bleach applied on fir wood will be deeply absorbed and will bring out the natural pattern of the wood, making the result very different from that of oak. There will also be no visible pore marks. Even if it is a uniformizing stain, like the one in the pictures below, it still fails to eliminate the differences. A pigmented finish doesn't solve the problem either. The differences will indeed fade a little, but the end result will be just as different.

The final color is influenced by the natural color of the wood

If it is difficult to find wood of the same species, you can try copying on similar species. For example, by adjusting the color, you can obtain the effect of the oak sample on ash or goruna, i.e. hardwoods with large pores in the latewood area.

The color must be adjusted because, as you can see in the picture below, it is influenced by the natural color of the wood. On the five wood species - oak, maple, cherry, mahogany and walnut - the same stain is applied. Even though the wood stain is uniforming, which softens the differences between the species, you can still see the difference between them.

The arrangement, size and shape of the pores influence the outcome

There are situations where the wood is hardwood, has similar color, has pores, but they are different. Even in this case it is difficult to reproduce the finish, especially if the stain or patina marks them. This is the case with oak versus beech. You will never be able to copy the effect of oak on beech.

Beech has small, scattered pores all over, making a totally different pattern to oak.

The influence of cutting on the final appearance of the finish

Large differences can also occur using the same wood species. If the cutting was done differently, the wood will have a different natural design. Let's take the example of oak again. If the original finish is made on a tangentially cut wood (flush), it cannot be reproduced on a radially cut wood (frix).

Reproduction is even more difficult if the pores are marked with patinas.

Reproduction of the effect on structured wood

If the finish to be reproduced is done on a structured wood, the one on which it will be applied must also be structured. When the wood is structured, the wood grain is absorbed and layered differently, the sanding between layers will bring out the design differently, and the patina, if used, will have a different effect compared to a normal solid wood without structuring. With structured wood, the layers of woodgrain and patina are seen in 3D, whereas with normal surfaces, everything happens in plan, without the expected effect.

If the reproduction is made on a veneered panel, there is no question of structuring, which is only done on solid wood or thick veneers (blinds). On veneered panels, due to the very low thickness of the veneer (aesthetic veneers), structuring cannot be done. Brushing the veneer with a wire brush will only result in a more deeply scratched surface, but the finish on such a substrate will have nothing to do with the original one.

Copying the colour of laminate flooring onto wood

I was giving the example at the beginning of people who want wooden stair treads to look like laminate flooring. There is always a problem here because it is a design that has to look like a wood finish. Because what we see on laminate flooring is a drawing on a paper made on a printer. And if that drawing looks like an antiqued parquet, with patina overlapping colors, then it's even harder.

Such a finish can only be achieved on structured wood, and laminate flooring is straight without the slightest unevenness. That's why it's a good idea to tell the customer at the outset why it will be impossible for wooden steps to look exactly like laminate flooring.

How to copy a finish to avoid surprises

If you want to copy a finish, try making a sample first on a small piece of the wood you will be using. That way you will know from the start what the end result will be. When I'm asked to reproduce a finish, I always say to bring pieces of the wood to be used. Because otherwise I run the risk that the difference between what I've achieved and what the factory will produce will be very big.

Reproduction of a finish is done on the same wood species, with the same method of cutting and preparation as the wood on which it will be used. Otherwise you will get something similar and not an identical effect. For those who frequently stain wood, all of the above seems self-evident. But others have no way of knowing these details. That is why it is good to be informed in advance so that there are no problems in the end.

I hope you find the above information useful. As always, additions are welcome. And if you have any questions or queries, please leave them below in the space provided. I will be sure to reply.