LRV checker — light reflectance value calculator
Search a paint by name, paste any hex code, or use the color picker. The LRV calculates instantly, with band guidance for what the color is actually good for on a wall. Two-color contrast checker below — for trim against wall, or ADA signage.
Two-color LRV contrast (trim vs wall, ADA signage)
ADA signage requires 70% LRV contrast. For interior design: a difference of 30+ between wall and trim lets the trim read crisply. Under 15 and the trim disappears into the wall.
LRV bands — what each range is actually for
| LRV | Band | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| 85+ | Bright whites | Ceilings, low-light rooms, trim against deep walls |
| 70–84 | Soft whites & pale neutrals | North-facing walls, kitchens, baths — bounces daylight |
| 50–69 | Mid-tone neutrals | Standard walls in well-lit rooms, designer greiges |
| 30–49 | Mid-deep saturation | Accent walls, dining rooms, primary bedroom walls |
| 15–29 | Deep & moody | Libraries, powder rooms, statement walls |
| Under 15 | Near-black | Trim, doors, cabinets, dramatic feature walls |
What LRV actually measures
LRV is the percentage of visible light a paint surface bounces back into the room. Zero is pure black, 100 is pure white. Every paint between those extremes has an LRV somewhere in the 3–95 range depending on hue and saturation. The number is calculated from the color's hex value — it's math, not a lab measurement, and any tool that knows your hex can derive it.
Why it matters more than the chip: paint chips lie. They're a 2-inch piece of cardstock in a paint-store light box. A wall is 12 feet of paint absorbing and bouncing light from windows, lamps, and ceiling fixtures. LRV tells you what the paint will actually do on the wall, before you commit. North-facing room with LRV 50 reads as dishwater grey. The same paint in a south-facing room reads as warm taupe. The number is the same. The room makes the difference.
The math, in plain words
Convert the hex to linear-light RGB (sRGB inverse companding), then weight the channels by how the human eye perceives them — about 21% red, 72% green, 7% blue. That's the Y component of the CIE XYZ color space. Multiply by 100 and round. The result is LRV. Same formula every paint manufacturer publishes.
When to use the contrast checker
- Trim against wall. Designers want 30+ LRV difference so the trim reads crisp under raking light. Under 15 and the trim dissolves into the wall — fine if you want a color-drenched look, intentional otherwise.
- ADA signage compliance. The federal standard is 70% LRV contrast between background and characters. If you're spec'ing wayfinding for a commercial space, the contrast number on the right has to be 70 or higher.
- Ceiling over wall. Standard "lift the ceiling" rule: pick a white at least 15 LRV higher than the wall color. The room reads taller.
FAQ
Most light-filled living rooms land between LRV 55 and 75 for the walls — bright enough to bounce daylight back without glaring. North-facing rooms want the upper end (70+); south-facing rooms can take a richer 50–60.
Most major brands print it on the back of the chip card or the product page — Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Farrow & Ball, Behr, Clare all publish it. If a brand hides it, paste the hex above and the math gives you the answer.
No. LRV is the color of the dried film. A matte and a semi-gloss of the same color share an LRV. What changes is how the surface bounces specular light at one angle — gloss reads "brighter" but the LRV number is identical.
No. High-LRV walls can read sterile or chalky under strong direct sun, and they wash out architecture. A dining room or library often wants LRV 10–25 so the moldings and art read against the wall instead of dissolving into it.
Surroundings. A mid-LRV wall surrounded by white trim and high ceilings reads brighter; the same paint in a low-ceilinged room with dark floors reads ten points darker. LRV is the paint's own number, not the room's.