GUIDE
How to match your car's real paint to Forza
By Game Paint Lab · Updated September 2026
Your factory paint code and your in-game color are the same information in two different formats. This walks through getting from one to the other, in either direction.
What you'll need
Either your car's 17-character VIN, or the paint code from the door jamb sticker (some manufacturers use the trunk lid, glove box, or firewall instead). If you don't have either, you can also search the OEM database by your car's make and model and match the color by name.
Step 1 — Find your factory paint code
Open the OEM color lookup. If you have your VIN, paste it into the VIN Lookup box, it'll auto-fill your make, model, and year. Otherwise, select them manually from the dropdowns. Either way, you'll land on a list of factory colors we have for your exact car.
Match the color name or code from your door jamb sticker to the list, that's your factory color. Tap it to open the code panel. Coverage isn't complete for every year and model yet, if your color isn't listed, see the note below.
ⓘ Don't see your color? The database is community-built and growing, it doesn't have every year and model yet.
Submit it and we'll add it once it's verified.
Step 2 — Get the Forza HSB value
The code panel shows your color's HEX, RGB, and Forza HSB values together, already converted. If you'd rather convert a different code by hand (say, one you found somewhere else), paste the HEX value into the Forza HSB converter and hit Convert, the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness fields will fill in automatically.
Step 3 — Enter it in Forza
In Forza Motorsport or Forza Horizon, go to Garage → Paint Car, then choose Custom Color. You'll see three sliders: Hue, Saturation, and Brightness, each running from 0.00 to 1.00. Type in the three values from Step 2 exactly as shown.
Step 4 — Match the finish
The HSB value gets you the correct base color, but real factory paint often isn't flat, most cars use metallic, pearl, or matte finishes that change how light hits it. In the same Paint Car menu, try the finish options (Metallic, Pearl, Matte) alongside your base color, and compare against a photo of your actual car to see which reads closest.
ⓘ Going the other direction? If you built a color in Forza first and want to paint the real thing, convert your in-game HSB values to HEX using the
converter, then search the
OEM database by name or browse your make to find the closest factory match, or bring the HEX code straight to a vinyl wrap shop or paint supplier.
Common questions
Will the in-game color look identical to my real car?
Close, but not pixel-identical. Forza's lighting and reflection rendering shifts how any color reads on screen, and factory paint often includes metallic flake or pearl coating that a flat HSB value can't fully capture. The HSB conversion gets you the correct base color; the finish setting gets you the closest visual match.
I don't have my VIN, can I still find my paint code?
Yes. Most manufacturers put a paint code sticker in the driver's door jamb, some use the trunk lid, glove box, or firewall instead. Search the OEM lookup by make and model, then match the color name or code printed on that sticker.
What if my car's color isn't in the database?
Coverage is still growing and doesn't include every year and model yet. If your color isn't listed,
submit it with whatever details you have, the HEX code, the paint code from your door jamb sticker, or even just the color name if that's all you know. It'll be added once verified.
Can I go the other direction, build a color in Forza first, then paint my real car?
Yes. Convert your in-game HSB values to HEX using the converter, then search the OEM database by color name or browse your make to find the closest factory match, or bring the HEX code to a vinyl wrap shop or paint supplier directly.