Creating a paint chart for Pure & Original Classico was a somewhat daunting project. Over 120 colors are available in this chalk based paint, although the color card only shows 118. To see the additional colors go to their USA website.

All of the Pure and Original colors are available for Classico so it seemed the best place to start. Their other paints available in the USA are Fresco Lime, and Marrakech. Any particular color can look quite different in each paint. I hope eventually to do a comparison chart showing each color in each of the three paints, but first things first.

My first task was to get a sample of each and every color (Yikes!). Fortunately, the headquarters and warehouse for Pure & Original USA is located in Louisville, KY. John Darr and his wonderful team at the office and warehouse were extremely generous with their time and paint. Every time they would tint colors and fill sample sizes, they would save the remnants in the larger cans for me. Usually they fill samples once a week, although not very color each time. It took me over 2 months to collect a sample of all the colors.

I had a stack of cardboard that I cut into smaller sheets and painted each one a different color. These I scanned these into my computer and using Adobe Photoshop sampled and created a digital image. The colors are as true and accurate as possible, but a digital image can look different depending which device, and app you use to view it. I strongly suggest if you are contemplating a color, to purchase a hand painted color card and if its a big project, a tester of that color. A hand painted sample is the only way you can accurately choose paint color.
A side note: I love Adobe Photoshop, but took me years of graphic design to feel comfortable with it. It’s also very expensive. Adobe no longer sells the Photoshop program. It was expensive when you could purchase it, $650 for the latest version, but you could use that version for several years before you absolutely had to upgrade to a new one. Adobe has changed how it offers software. It’s only available through Adobe’s monthly subscription service. You can get a free 1 month trial, and an introductory rate for a year. But after that you are paying a minimum of $49 every month to use their software. Unless you are using it for business, it’s hard to justify. Photoshop used to be the only game in town but now there are several simpler photo editing programs available at the app store for free. Truly, if I hadn’t been using it for years ( I have an old version), I would not start at this point.
After I created images for each color, I tried several ways of arranging them into a helpful, pleasing color palette. This is my final version.

I also created tints of each Pure & Original chalk color by mixing with varying amounts of white.
As always, you can download, print, share these and any of my other charts for free as long as it is for personal use. My other charts include Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Tints, and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Shades and Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint
I should have known you would do this…ha, ha! However, I was impatient and just ordered their color chart. Thank you for doing this…now I can get a better sense of the undertones in these colors. I know this took a lot of time and hard work on your behalf and we all appreciated it so very much Leslie.
Wow! Amazing amount of time and talent this took you. There are so many colors to choose from. Thank you for giving me the “ok” not think that Photoshop was the only way to go! I just dabbled in PicMonkey today and I’ll have to figure how to put my watermark on my photos. Thanks!
Hi, Leslie, this is invaluable. Before I order, can you give us a guideline for how much white you used to create each tint? I’m mostly interested in the “second” color — the one second from the left. Is that usually a ratio of 1/1? Thanks!
Wonderful! You are a super star!
You are amazing and do very useful and inpsiring work ! I am grateful to you ! Thank you !
You are amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Hello and Happy Holidays! Of all the posts I receive via email, yours are my favorites. Love the new color charts and the furniture you paint. Beautiful colors, tones and combinations. Looking forward to seeing your new ideas for 2016!
Im amazed…good job…Thank you
Hi Leslie,
Thank you for all your beautiful painting projects. They are so inspuiting!
I started using Annie Sloan paint almost two years ago and love it. So Every once in a while I take my brush and start a new project. Since AS paint is not available around the corner and Pure & Original is I’ll give it a try and hope I will love it the same as AS.
Happy Hollydays to you.
Anne (from The Netherlands)
Inspuiting??? Sorry Dutch autocorrect!;-) Inspiring is what I meant.
Anne
Hi Leslie. . Your talent, knowledge and skill never cease to amaze me and continue to inspire every day. My hats off to you!
At the moment, I am preparing to go back to work (I do taxes) it’s that time of year again. .. however will be diving in head first looking for retail location before spring, thank you for your post on the paint brushes, Love them! Will stay tuned may need your wisdom. 😉