When it comes to choosing the right paint, achieving the perfect colour is just as important as achieving the perfect finish. But what is the secret behind a true, vibrant and long-lasting colour? Read on as Dillon Cilliers, Product Manager at Valspar Trade, explains all…
As well as being nice to look at, colour can have a very real impact on our mood and emotions, influencing the way in which we interact with a space. Used correctly, colour can enhance a room’s aesthetic and even make a smaller space appear larger. Whether a bright and bold look or a calmer, more neutral feel, it’s important to get the colour just right!
There are four components that make up paint formulations (pigment, binder, additives and liquid), with the pigment being the key to achieving a bright and true colour. A finely ground particle, it is this that provides the whiteness, colour, coverage and bulk of paint.
While there are two main types of pigment (prime and extender), prime pigment gives the paint its colour or whiteness. One of the most valuable examples is Titanium Dioxide, the predominant white pigment in high quality paints. Effectively dispersing light, it provides exceptional whiteness and high levels of opacity. One of the most expensive pigments available, while 90% of paint products will contain it, cheaper paints will often have lower proportions to keep costs down.
Extender pigments, such as clay, silica, calcium carbonate and zinc oxide, help to control the level of gloss and affect performance characteristics, such as scrubbability.
As well as the pigment volume concentration (PVC) being key, it’s also about the quality of pigments used. At Valspar Trade, the pigments we use are cleaner and finer, creating a truer colour and allowing for easier application.
Of course, the perfect colour is also about achieving a truer colour, once the paint is applied and dry. Here, the value of the undercoat truly shines. If you’re tackling a deep, bright, warm or vibrant colour, then applying a grey undercoat first can give you a real advantage.
Likewise, the colour matching and tinting process is also important. When it comes to colour matching, it’s all about the technology, spectrometer and database used, as well as the strength of the colourants.
At Valspar Trade, as well as offering 2,000 pre-selected colours to choose from, our colour matching technology can match a sample as small as your fingernail, with 2.2 million shades on our database and 16 super-strength colourants in TradePoint’s mixing machines.
We only use the highest quality colourants, while our colour-matching and mixing equipment is the best in class, resulting in a truer and purer colour match that is 99% accurate.
With a dedicated research and development team, we’re proud to offer a game-changing range of high-quality trade essentials, expertly formulated to make achieving the perfect finish easy. Our Tough Matt product range has undergone extensive ISO testing to ensure it stands up to your expectations, delivering on colour, opacity, covering power, durability, scrubbability and ease of application.
