How Paint is Made

How Paint is Made or Manufactured

Understanding how paint is made is an important aspect for interior designers as it is one product that we use in almost every project. We need to be able to specify the correct product for the applications we have and ensure that we can diagnose any paint problems that may arise through workmanship.

Paint Manufacture

Just like baking a cake, paint manufacture requires a recipe.

The recipe isolates the quantities required of the pigments, the vehicle (the binder and the thinner). These are then thoroughly mixed in their itemised quantities.

This mixture is taken once mixed and is then ground in mills to ensure all the clusters of pigment particles are broken up and that every particle is wetted (which prevents them being repellent to a wetting liquid).

Numerous tests are taken during and after manufacture to ensure that the paint contains all the desired properties, for example: color, workability, hiding power (opacity) gloss, flow, thickness, fineness of particle, durability and flexibility.

The recipe for each type of paint is very important, as the correct ratios of pigment to binder are essential. Gloss paints require very fine pigments; flat paints and undercoats have a much higher pigment content than enamels.