The results of our testing follow. Flat paint keeps reflections to a minimum and hides surface imperfections, but it's harder to clean and picks up more dirt than glossier formulas. Semigloss is easier to clean than flat, but it may be too shiny for larger surfaces. In the middle is low luster. Often called velvet, eggshell or satin, a low-luster finish is easy to clean and reflects less light.
Most people choose a custom color made by mixing colorant into a tint base.
In a mixture of pigments, the other colors will begin to stand out as the greens and yellows fade. Most of the paints we tested had a very good to excellent scrub resistance. We used a roller to spread each paint on a special chart printed with stripes that ranged from light gray to black. We judged according to the darkest stripe the paint could cover in one and two coats. Most paints, especially whites, didn't do a good job of covering in one coat.