8 Best Resin Colors

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You might have a resin color in mind. You might know resin colors that you want to avoid. Either way, resin color is a topic worth discussing! It can make or break your resin project, so it’s important to understand resin colors and the best resin colors for you.

What resin colors do resin makers offer?

Do you want a resin color that is close to transparent or opaque?

You have several resin color options. If you want a resin color that’s very close to clear, then it may be best for you to experiment with finding your favorite resin colors. Some resin colors are almost completely clear but have a slight yellowish tint.

Other resin colors are white and don’t really change the look of the finished product aside from their effect on your vision (which can make things appear brighter). Some resin colors seem dark in their natural state but lighten when cast (like black). It all depends on what you like.

If you’d like to add something fun without changing the overall appearance of the resin project too much, resin colors can be a fun option. Remember that resin color is often not the only factor in what you see. Clear resin has a property called “cat eye”, which can give it an organic or watery look because of how light travels through the resin. That’s just something to keep in mind!

How do I get resin color?

There are several ways to get resin color for your projects. You can add pigment powder, dye or use colored additives like nail polish and other hobby paints. Just make sure it’s compatible with your chosen resin. If you’re looking to add pigment powder, remember that resin makers don’t recommend mixing powders directly into the resin. Instead, they recommend making a resin slurry or resin solution and adding the powder to that.

The resin makers themselves often make their resin colors by adding clear resin with pigment powder to a resin base before pouring it. However, you can use other bases as well (it’s not just for making resin).

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Colors aren’t always what they seem!

Remember that color is subjective. If you’re looking at resin colors online, you have no idea if those colors will look right once they’re cast into your project. Most resin makers will show resin color samples on their resin and resin color pages, but you need to match them up with your resin finish. If you have resin without a resin color, resin colors are going to stand out. If you have resin with resin color, resin colors are going to blend in.

Let’s take a look at the resin colors on the market:

Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint to Color Resin

Acrylic paint is a common colorant for epoxy resin. Still, there’s one rule to remember: if you’re using acrylics to add color to your project, make sure it’s less than 10% of the total ingredients. If more than this percentage gets mixed up with the glue or polymerization agents, then unwanted changes will occur during the cure, leading to unpredictable variances in flow and cure time!

Acrylic resin provides a matte finish with good clarity. It is also an effective resin colorant for adding metallic or pearlescent effects to resin projects. However, the results are more subtle than other resin colors.

Golden Fluid acrylics are popular because they give off vibrant tones like their heavier counterparts, but without adding water, making them appropriate when mixing colors together (especially if using an epoxy!).

ATLANTA CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Temperature Activated Thermochromic Powder Pigments

ATLANTA introduced a new line of environmentally friendly thermochromic powders. When heated, these pigments change color to indicate their activation temperature. Still, they are reversible when cooled or elevated again in order for the user’s desired effect without any toxic effects on humans or animals that come into contact with them due to non-toxic properties enabled by microencapsulation technology which keeps all-natural colors vibrant!

You can find a color you like with several shades to choose from. So you do not need to wait. Just pick one and try it at home now.

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DecorRom Mica Powder Pure 50 Color

I am always on the hunt for new ways to add color and texture when creating my own art. I love experimenting with different mediums, but one of my favorite things is mica powders!

Mica powders are a fantastic way to add color and shimmering particles when mixed with resin. These tiny pieces of mica, which come in many different shades, can create all sorts of effects depending on your desired outcome. Some people prefer a more subtle look. In contrast, others want their artworks surrounded by intense jewel tones!

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FolkArt Color Shift Glossy Metallic Finish

Color shift pigments are a fun way to add some extra creativity and artistic expression to your crafting projects. When these colorants mix with resin, the mixture will change colors depending on where you view them from! There is more than one type out there for everyday use or when curiosity gets the best of us. We recommend trying different types so all possibilities can be explored and experienced!

This resin color is available in a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle colors, but every resin maker’s resin finish

If you’re looking for a paint that will change color, look no further than the color shift paints by FolkArt. These water-based acrylics can be mixed with resin and won’t affect its consistency so long as 10% or less is applied to avoid cloudiness during application!

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LET’S RESIN Holographic Powder

Resin lovers rejoice! LET’S RESIN has the best holographic mica powder you’ll ever find. These beautiful colors shift between a mirror-like silver tone and a myriad of vibrant hues, depending on how they’re viewed – perfect for your next resin color project!

Dusted into silicone moldable material backed with black epoxy or even glitter glue to achieve professional results that will make all of those critics green with envy (just kidding). Some resin artists do something that’s really unique. They mix a holographic pigment with color shift mediums to get an otherworldly result!

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Jacquard Pearl Ex Pigment Resin Color

Jacquard Pearl EX 32 pack of pearl pigments is hands down the best colorant for resin. The colors are just gorgeous and finishes in a stunning manner with top-notch sheen, depending on what you’re going for! Resin artists love this product to achieve beautiful results quickly– it’s perfect if your goal here is an elegant finish or something more classic looking.

The Jacquard EX pearl resin color will help give depth and dimensionality in any type or color scheme as well as providing an incredible shine with its texture-rich pearlescent tone profile from transparent flecks all throughout each shade which creates brilliance within every hue because they bounce off different angles allowing more than one faceted effect depending on where viewed against another surface such colors bring out what’s best about polymers by making paints look like jewels!

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LET’S RESIN Alcohol Ink for Resin

Alcohol inks are a great way to add some color and patterning to your resin creations. You can mix it with the materials, apply it over the top or come up with your own technique! Make sure that you use UV protective coatings, though, because alcohols fade over time- especially those used as an etching solution for plastics like polyurethane (a type of elastomer) which is often found in children’s art sets.

Alcohol ink, like any other liquid paint medium, can be tricky to work with. One thing you should note if using this technique on your surface is that after pouring resin over it and letting it dry. Alcohol inks will re-activate themselves. Make sure to seal my completed projects before adding more layers and protect them from humidity by storing them somewhere safe until ready for use again!

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SEISSO Glow in The Dark Resin Pigment

Are you looking for a way to make your resin sculptures glow in the dark? Well, now it’s possible with SEISSO glow-in-the-dark resin pigment!

You’ll find that SEISSO products are gentle on your skin because they’re free of harsh chemicals like toxic dyes or heavy metals that are often found in resin colorants. They’re also perfect to use if you want to mix resin colors with water-based mediums like paint, resin, or enamel!

Just like mica powders, it can be added during resin mixing and then will magically light up once given enough time under a UV lamp or lit by other lights sources for 10-20 minutes (or whatever length of time you decide).

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Resin Colors Buying Guide

Resin color additives come in various forms, powders, or liquids that are obtained through various chemicals, pigments, and dyes. The resin colors are made using resin materials as well as metal salts to make colors. Most of these resin colors are chemical compounds that, up until now, have always been mixed with other things like paint before use. Unfortunately, the resin is not a polymer known for its color properties. Still, there’s no reason why you should settle for boring resin hues knowing everything about resin colors today!

Types of resin color additives

There are a few kinds of resin colors that you can get, like opacifiers, strong tinting strength, and rich effects!

If you’re having trouble with the color-changing when adding alcohol inks (or other types of solvent), then it may be best to try out some opaque pigments.

Some of the most common types include:

Translucent Colors

Transparent or translucent color additives can be used for any work where transparency is wanted. A good example will be if your goal is to make an artwork look like glass- instead of using transparent powders. This will work much better since these are known to create brighter results than mica powder which doesn’t seem to be as strong.

Pearlescent Colors

How cool is it to make your resin creations look like they came out of a shell? You can actually produce amazing iridescent effects using pearlescent colors! To see how these work, you need to break open a pearl and look at the way light reflects off its surface. That is exactly the sort of effect you’ll be getting if you use this type of resin color additive. Most pigments used for pearlescent color are made up of simple metal oxide particles (like titanium dioxide). Unlike transparent powders, these are made to scatter light in many different directions, which usually have some refractive properties but not quite as much as what’s possible with metallic filters.

Metallic Colors

This one is the most common type used for resin projects because it’s easy to use and can be applied in many different ways (for instance, in textures). This resin color additive usually contains rich inclusions of mica powders made up of tiny shingles that are highly reflective. It’s also known for its ability to reflect light- which makes the color look like metal. Instead, it’s really just bits of silicate that create an almost mirror-like effect!

Since there are various kinds, you’ll find them have certain uses. For example, the ones with lots of glitter flakes might yield optimal results when pouring into texturized areas, or ones with finer particles will work better if you want sharp edges. You can even mix this type with other resin colors to create amazing effects!

Opaque pigments are great for areas that are highly textured or have embossed sections. Still, if you use it to cover an entire area, you might want to try out transparent resin color additives. Now, how do these work? Well, since light doesn’t penetrate these, your surface will appear like it’s smooth like glass- hence why people use this additive to make their own clear pieces look like glass.

Matte Colors

If you’re looking for a quick fix for making any resin project less shiny or glossy, then matte colors can help. You see, this works by simply adding these into the mix before pouring. Because of its non-reflective nature, you can say goodbye to any chances of glare ruining your completed project. Strong tinting strength and rich effects!

These are made up of easier-to-mix powders like opaque pigments- which means you don’t need high skills to get the best results from them.

Since these color additives work by simply adding them into resin before it sets, they’re not permanent at all. Hence, if you ever want to remove the color (or do something else with your piece), this won’t be too much trouble. You can actually reapply paint later on after removing the resin colors but keep in mind that changing things around may affect how the additive works, so it’s best if you test a bit out first before starting on your actual project.

What about other additives?

Now, if you want to add more than just color, here are some common resin additives to try out:

UV blockers

Because UV exposure can be harmful, especially when it’s concentrated, using these additives is the best way to prevent your work from getting ruined! Look for ones that come in clear containers and only use a little bit of this type since too much will actually cause yellowing instead of stopping it!

Softeners

This additive is used whenever you need your work to have certain softening effects. For example, making it lighter or giving it that waxy feel which isn’t possible just by sanding alone. Use sparingly, though, since adding too much can make your project look foggy (instead of having a shiny slick look).

Thickeners

The only time you’ll need this is when you want to adjust the consistency of your resin- usually in thickening it up or making it less like molasses. It’s useful for adjusting too much shrinkage (making it seem like there’s something wrong with the batch) and avoiding using too much since it can make things gel out.

Fumed Silica

This one works by adding tiny particles that improve resistance to chemical degradation while also increasing your finished piece’s stiffness, durability, and strength – all without changing the appearance! This prevents your work from showing signs of wear over time which is why people tend to use this additive even for the exterior! Keep in mind, though, that you should mix this one thoroughly with a high-speed mixer since it tends to settle at the bottom.

Now that we’ve covered those let’s move on to how you can choose from all those different colors!

In order not to have any regrets, ask yourself what kind of color you want and how much work you want to put into achieving it. You’ll find wide ranges of colors for resin but keep in mind that the pigmentation (making it solid and strong) may vary depending on what you choose, so it’s best if you familiarize yourself with these before trying something new.

Most of the time, manufacturers color their resins by adding dyes (tiny particles that are suspended in liquid). There are also other methods like using pigments where they make them solid- either by mixing resin with powder or creating a special dye!

Another thing to know about is that some resins can be dyed before being formulated while others can’t. This means there’s no way to test your work first on scrap materials before coloring your actual piece. It’s just not worth it if you mess up since the chances are that you might not be able to undo the effects.

Now that you know what can happen, here are some other types of materials you can use to color your resin:

Liquid dyes

Liquid resin colors are probably the most common ones that you’ll find in most craft stores. They’re a good choice since they can be bought along with your casting resin. Most of these are also specially formulated for certain resin types- especially those with high shrinkage rates.

Liquid resins from different brands may not necessarily produce the same color. Still, it’s usual for them to have a similar shade when used together! Just make sure that they don’t mix, though otherwise, you might end up ruining your whole batch entirely.

One thing to note about liquid colors is that it affects their overall color whenever you add something else into the mix. Keep in mind that changing things around can change how your work turns out.

Liquid pigments

Similar to their counterparts, these are also great for adding color to your work without changing the consistency of the resin! The only difference is that you need to mix this one with a carrier solution, making your own pigments possible.

Powder dyes

These are ideal whenever you want something that’s more permanent or if you need to make small batches at a time since it’s much easier to control compared to liquids. Just keep in mind that they may require heating up first before stirring. Otherwise, you’ll end up settling out oils and other organic compounds, which can affect its color.

Mica powders

These are gorgeous ingredients that can be added to resin for a subtle shimmery effect. The difference here is that they’re made up of thin flakes, making them great for suspending in clear resins! They also come in many colors, so you can make your work even more dynamic with these.

Now, before you start mixing things together, remember one thing- do the test first! Even if you think it’s pretty straightforward, there are still ways to mess things up, especially when it comes to being spontaneous with color mixing. Remember that this should always happen on scrap materials first, just so you’d have an idea of what works and what doesn’t. This way, it’ll be easier for you to adjust next time around should any problems happen.

Alcohol Ink

Alcohol inks happen to be a great way to add color to your work without worrying about altering the resin’s original consistency. All you have to do is just add drops into an ounce of clear casting resin and swirl it around. Another thing that makes alcohol inks ideal for coloring resin is that they’re formulated from pigments which means they stay suspended no matter what! Just keep in mind that since these are pigment-based, you should always start with just a few drops and see how it goes before adding more.

Glitter Powder

If you want something that’s eye-catching yet subtle, adding glitter powder is a great way to have your work sparkle without being over the top about it. After all, one of the most popular resin trends are those with subtle hints of glitters, so if you’re looking for an unconventional approach, this might just be perfect for you.

Just remember that each different brand’s works can vary. Before adding these into your work, make sure to do a test beforehand, especially if you plan on using it with multiple colors!

Glowing Pigments

For a unique effect, try adding glow-in-the-dark pigments or powders to your work! You can find these in most novelty stores and even in some toy stores. These are perfect for creating sceneries and figures that will stand out when it’s dark. If you plan to create something like this, make sure to add it in during the last step of mixing your resin.

Specialty dyes

These ones come in handy when you want the best color permanency as well as working especially well with clear resins due to being transparent. These are popular for people who make miniatures since this is the only way to get realistic color on both transparent and translucent materials.

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure to mix resin and dyes on scrap materials first! This will help you gauge how much of the resin you’ll need as well as how many drops and swirls you should do so there’s no way for it to go wrong on your actual resin pour.
• Try mixing different color pigments or dyes together! Who knows, maybe you can create some sort of new pigment that hasn’t been seen before, which is perfect for your work! Remember that this needs practice (and a lot of patience) since creating an exact combination isn’t always possible.
• If using resin with colors from powder dyes, make sure to create the mixture first before adding to your resin. Remember that resin can be pretty sensitive to certain ingredients, so you should always do a test beforehand.
• Keep in mind that resin sets fast and hardens, which is why it’s always best to add your colorant mixture in during the last few minutes of stirring resin. Resin shouldn’t take too long to mix thoroughly, but just in case, a one-minute rule is usually used as a safety measure.
• If there are particles left on the bottom when the resin has already set, try swishing the bottle around for a few seconds since this will help redistribute everything! Just make sure you don’t add more resin, or else they’ll stick again, making it difficult to remove all of them afterward. 
• Keep in mind that resin with fillers can be affected by certain colorants, so always do a test first before doing your actual resin pour.
• Add more resin as needed since this is not an exact science! If you’re not sure about how much resin to add, just keep adding it until the mixture becomes consistent and smooth. Just remember that there’s no point in adding too much resin since everything will harden sooner than expected, which defeats the purpose of adding colorant altogether!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are resin colors good for beginners?

I would recommend trying out liquid resin colors before experimenting with pigment powders, alcohol ink resin, or anything else. They’re easy to use, and there’s no need for any tools, making them perfect for beginners who are new to working with resin. If you’ve gotten into using resin colorants, then try working with resin additives like resin tinting mediums and specialty resin dyes!

How do resin colors work?

You can add resin color by using pigment powders, resins, inks, and anything else that’s transparent in clear resin. Just remember to mix in a little into your resin before pouring. You can also use resins as resin color additives by adjusting resin ratios!

Why should resin colors be diluted?

Adding resin colorants directly to resin can cause changes in consistency and sometimes alter your resin’s physical properties, making it a hazard if you plan to use it for a project or work with resin-based products. You should also know that adding resin coloring additive directly to resin can cause resin sediment to form. So it’s best to mix resin additive with resin first before color pouring.

How do I adjust resin ratios?

You can adjust resin ratios by using your desired resin as a base and then adding drops of additive until you get the perfect ratio! Just make sure that anything you put in resin is thoroughly mixed and blended together.

Can I use resin colors to tint resin?

Yes, colorants like pigment powders and nanopowder pigments make great additives. Remember not to add them directly into resin but rather dilute them with something like alcohol ink or clear resin mediums.

How does liquid resin color react with resin?

There’s a really neat trick you can do if you’ve ever wondered what happens when pure pigment powders like black pearl are mixed with resin. Simply add only 10% amount (by weight) in resin and mix well. Then add resin to resin until you get your desired resin color tone!

How do powder resin colors affect resin?

Powder resin color additives are made using various chemicals, dyes, and pigments, so feel free to experiment with different resin ratios until you get your desired resin hue!

What types of resin color additives should I use?

The type of resin additive you choose really depends on the effect you want it to achieve! Liquid resins and pigment washes and powders will give great results when mixed into clear resins. Still, alcohol resin colorants work best in opaque colored resins due to how they react. You also can use specialty resin dyes, which are great for people who want realistic resin colors!

Is there a resin additive I can use to lighten resin?

If you want to purposely lighten up your resin, try using clear or translucent resin tinting mediums or resin lighteners. These can be mixed in to create an almost milky resin color tone! Keep in mind that although this will make the resin lighter, it won’t necessarily eliminate any resin sediment. This is why you should always filter resin properly before mixing.

What resin additive can I use to darken resin?

To get darker resin, try using resin colorants like black pearl or resin tinting mediums- these will make your resin turn out almost black! Just remember to mix it properly with resin before pouring.

How do I use resin coloring additive without altering resin?

Adding drops of liquid resin dye can be tricky since it might cause the resin to get too thin, or resin sediment will form. The trick is to determine the resin ratio needed for the resin color additive- this way, the resin isn’t altered but still gets colored properly!

How do I use resin color additives safely?

Using resin color additives can be safe so long as you always mix in resin before pouring. Make sure that all of your resin colorants are thoroughly blended and mixed together before mixing with resin. Otherwise, you’ll risk resin sediment clogging up your pour holes. This is available, especially when using pigment powders like a black pearl which tend to cause problems if not diluted enough with clear resin mediums or alcohol ink.

What’s the difference between liquid dye and powder pigment?

Pigment colors are more opaque than liquid dye, but both work well when mixed into resin for coloring! Remember, though, to not add resin colorants directly, or resin sediment will develop.

How long will resin colors stay true?

It really depends on how much resin color additive was mixed in the more pigment, resin tinting medium, or resin dye. The longer resin colors stay true! However, once the resin is cured, it can still be made lighter by adding resin lighteners or translucent resin tinting mediums.

When is resin ready for coloring?

It’s important to remember that resin needs to be fully cured before mixing resin with resin or resin color additives are safe! If you’re not sure, let the resin cure for at least 24 hours before testing it by mixing in some resin dye.

How to store resin colors?

The best resin colorants, especially stronger resin additives like black pearls and wine dyes, should be stored in a cool, dry place away from light to keep resin colors as true as they can.

Conclusion

The resin coloration is definitely the most fun part of resin casting. If you’re looking for a way to truly make your works stand out against others, resin colors might be the right way to go! If you don’t know where to start, this article is a great place. Now that you have some examples of resin colors available on Amazon, your resin creations are sure to be amazing!

Last update on 2024-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API