Drywall – Primer on drywall for one year without paint

Usually primer is white. In some cases the primer might be tinted. This is usually done when changing drastically from light to dark or vise versa but the color of the primer is not intended to be the final color, this is what the paint is for. When it is tinted, it would be tinted to closely match the final color.

If you want to color match, take a chip of paint to your local paint store and depending on the age, they can usually match it pretty well. I'd advise just using white primer and then getting the final paint color matched properly.

Not all primers are good sealers for new drywall and tape joints. The new paint and primer combinations are great for covering existing paint, but are not a good substitute for a PVA or shellac/alcohol based primer on new drywall or patches. When sealing new drywall, it is important to seal the pores so latex/water based paints are not absorbed. Once the surface is properly sealed, paints will cover better and color will be more consistent and the finish texture will be the same from painted areas to newly primed areas.

Here is a good article that describes the difference between different types of primers and proper selection. http://www.finehomebuilding.com/PDF/Free/021161060.pdf