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Pigments and Dyes for Resins

General Information about Pigments and Dyes for liquid resins.

Basically, this is a good way to look at it. Pigments are for paint and dyes are like stains. When you paint a piece of wood you apply a layer of "vechicle" that contains a pigment. White, for example would contain TiO2. This layer of paint stays on top of the wood surface. Eventually it would peel off. A stain, on the other hand accually penetrates into the wood. It stains it by soaking in. A stain will not peel off later, it will only fade or discolor.

All the pigments and dyes on this page are for resins. By resins we mean two or three things; epoxy, polyester or polyurethane. We know these will work on epoxy and polyester, but they don't always work on polyurethanes. These guys contain a pigment "dispersed" into a special fluid. The special fluid helps the pigments to stir into your resins. The dyes are a little different, they not only contain the special fluid, but they are colored with a dye that is resistant to harsh chemicals such as polyester or epoxy.

If you want something to be opaque, then use the resin pigments. If you want something to be translucent, then use the dyes.

There are a lot of questions regarding "how much?" The smart answer is to say, whatever looks good to you. In fact, there are no firm answers on how much. Black is a very strong pigment and in most cases you will only need a few drops per quart. White is weak, so you might need a few ounces per quart. You'll also learn with experimentation that certain colors will react differently with the resin. If you put in too much white for example, your resin will take longer to cure.

Polyurethanes are a whole different matter. Some polyurethane casting resins are formulated so that their color is generated chemically. Black is a good example. If you buy black you will get two white containers, when you mix them they will turn black in a few seconds. If you get the pigments and dyes listed below for urethane, please just know that you will have to do some experimentation to get them to work, and even then the results might not be perfect.

All of these guys are flammable, so ground shipping is required.

Opaque Resin Tinting Agent

Used to color resins. Works with casting resin, fiberglass laminating resin, epoxy, and polyurethane resins. Opaque means that you can't see through it. Like milk.

CAT # Colors Description Price
RPIG-01   White Resin Tint, 1 fl oz *S*
RPIG-02   Black Resin Tint, 1 fl oz *S*
RPIG-03   Red Resin Tint, 1 fl oz *S*
RPIG-07   Orange Resin Tint, 1 fl oz *S*
RPIG-11   Brown Resin Tint, 1 fl oz *S*
RPIG-14   Yellow Resin Tint, 1 fl oz *S*
RPIG-16   Green Resin Tint, 1 fl oz *S*
RPIG-18   Blue Resin Tint, 1 fl oz *S*

Transparent Dye for Resins

Used to color resins. Works with casting resin, fiberglass laminating resin, epoxy, and polyurethane resins. Transparent means that you can see through it. Like CoolAid (r).
CAT # Colors Description Price
TRD-03-1   Red Trans Resin Dye, 1 fl oz *S*
TRD-08-1   Amber Trans Resin Dye, 1 fl oz *S*
TRD-14-1   Yellow Trans Resin Dye, 1 fl oz *S*
TRD-16-1   Green Trans Resin Dye, 1 fl oz *S*
TRD-18-1   Blue Trans Resin Dye, 1 fl oz *S*
TRD-19-1   Pearl Trans Resin Dye, 1 fl oz *S*

TRD-SET has been discontinued.

NOTE: See GM Foam Section for pigments specific to foam latex.

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*S* = Special Shipping Required.

This page originally posted: 02/11/1997
This page last updated: