How to use pigment powders in epoxy and learn all the facts about Mica Powders, Metallic
pigments, pastes, dyes, inks, etc. Well, you are in the right place, as here at RESINZWOOD, Resin Wood Tables NZ, we have all the info for you.
Pigments like Pearl Mica are the standard choice for achieving truly unique effects, such as multi-tone and blended tones, offering endless creative possibilities.
Types of Pigments Available
RESINZWOOD primarily uses and sells Passionart Mica pigment on our site, including Colour Passion's shimmering, deluxe, and pearl range. Here, we are also looking at other types of pigments we may stock soon—epoxy powders, Mica, and Colour glitter. When you are thinking about pigments with such an extensive range available, it can be hard to decide what to get, as each range has many different colours. First, determine the look and effect you want for your artistic piece.
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Colour Pigments achieve an evenly solid or semi-translucent colour effect. Organic
pigments are currently synthesised from aromatic hydrocarbons. - Colour Passion Powder Pigments are multi-dimensional, and our range has the best prices.
- Metallic Pigments are very similar to Mica pigments, as they create that pearlescent or iridescent effect that looks multi-dimensional. Metallic pigments contain flakes or platelets of aluminium, copper, copper-zinc alloys, zinc, and other metals. These flake pigments or pastes can provide uniquely attractive aesthetics (with high metallic brilliance, strong colour flops, etc.) in various coating applications. The downside of these metallic pigments is that the lathe turner will wear out their tools very quickly due to the metal content.
- Glitters are a whole different kettle of fish, as they are made up of large metallic flakes that are colour-coated. However, you can get superfine glitters as well, and once again, these are not that suitable for the turner in mind. Glitters like Glitter Pimp Glitters are great for all forms of Resin Art here in NZ, as creative artists come up with some fantastic pieces; these can be seen by looking through our INTL site on Facebook.
How Much Pigment Should I Be Using?
As a general rule of thumb, for epoxy powders, one teaspoon per litre is a good starting point for smaller projects and can serve as a basic guideline. Remember, you can always add more but not subtract once added. To get the desired effect that we aim for here at RESINZWOOD, Resin Wood Tables NZ, when doing large volumes, we measure out, say, half a litre of resin into a clear plastic container, then using a metric teaspoon as a guide, we gradually add the pigment, dye or metallic till we get the colour and degree of translucent or opaque that we are looking for. Once this is done, we will calculate based on the volume of resin we will use.
To avoid curing imperfections when adding pigment, ensure it is no more than 3% of your epoxy mixture by volume and 10% by weight.
- For translucent opacity, use 1/16 tsp/Litre
- Medium Opacity: ¼ tsp/Litre
- Solid Opaque opacity: ½ tsp/Litre
How Should I Add Mix in my Pigment?
Gradually add your pigment, stirring constantly and scraping the sides of your container. For large volumes from 5 to 20 litres, for example, once we know the volume of pigment needed in each, for this example, say, a 20-litre bucket, we pour half a litre into a separate container, gradually adding our Colour Passion Powder whilst mixing it in slowly. Once thoroughly mixed, we pass it through a strainer to remove or break down any remaining lumps, then pour it into our primary bucket for final blending. Passing through a fine strainer is a new thing we are doing with pastes; premonitory as powders are not, we are not overly concerned, as some micas are heavier.
Colour Testing - Are pigments the same colour dry as when wet/mixed,
If you are new to Resin Art or Resin work, remember that what you see in the container will change once liquid is added. A safe and inexpensive way to check is to add some of your pigment to water to accurately represent what your colour will look like.
Thanks for reading our information. We are here to help anytime so that you can contact us on our site. Are you looking for pastes, dyes, inks, etc.? Well, you are at the right place. At RESINZWOOD, Resin Wood Tables NZ, we can answer your questions via Facebook, email, or call Paul on 021966387.