FAQ

Professional users read and understand the Material Safety Data Sheets and hazard designation before use.

You want to make a color yourself according to your individual needs?

Our pigments offer an incredibly wide range of colors and brilliance that exceeds the color spectrum of commercially available ranges. By using different binders and pigments, you can produce different colors yourself. Binders ensure a connection between the individual pigment particles and enable adhesion to the painting surface.

By providing recipes and processing instructions, we give you a guide to create your own personal color experience.

It is not possible to dye textiles with pigments. Pigments are small particles. They do not dissolve and they do not adhere to the textile fibre. For this purpose one needs dyes like Cibacron dyes or natural dyes such as indigo, madder, or mignonette. However, one can produce paint from pigments and binder, and paint or print this on a fabric.

Plant raw materials are subject to natural quality fluctuations. The dye content depends on growing conditions, soil, weather conditions and harvest time. Therefore, one batch of a dyeing plant may dye differently from the previous batch, or the dyes may not always dissolve as easily. With some dye plants, such as madder, the dye is contained in the roots. In other plants, the bark, flowers, fruits, leaves or the whole plant are used. In the latter case, all parts of the plant are processed and even if the dye content is not the same in all parts of the plant, it is not possible to sort out certain parts for you here.

Please check if you have used the appropriate solvent, such as Ethyl Alcohol (#70805). Isopropanol (#70820) is not as efficient as Ethyl Alcohol.
Shellac only partly dissolves in water-containing alcohols, the solution becomes cloudy.
Shellac should be stored in a dry and cool place. When exposed to moisture, shellac will no longer dissolve properly. Some types of shellac, especially the bleached, wax-free varieties, can become insoluble if stored for too long.

Synthetic Organic Pigments, Fluorescent Pigments, Van Dyck Brown or Milori Blue are not easily mixed with water. These pigments will behave like oil and float on top of the water.
Alcohol (Ethyl alcohol #70805, Isopropanol #70820) or a wetting agent (e.g. Orotan 731 K #78032) will reduce the surface tension and facilitate the use of the pigment.

There is a widespread confusion about the difference between pigments and dyes. Pigments are insoluble in solvents and water. Like fine, colored sand they can be finely dispersed in a binder, but the dispersion will appear cloudy. Dyes dissolve completely in binders or solvents (like sugar in coffee) and form a transparent solution.
The particle sizes of dyes are much smaller than those of pigments. Dyes are in general less lightfast than pigments.

The XSL pigments, Orange DPP RA, PO 73 (#23178), Scarlet Red DPP EK, PR 255 (#23179), and some others have been prilled to avoid dust formation. Prills are small beads, like in washing powders. XSL pigments dissolve immediately when in contact with water, other pigments must be ground to break up the granules, e.g. Bristol Yellows (#43101, #43111, #43131), Bismuth-Vanadate Yellow (#43910, #43915, #43918, #43920) or Bone Black (#47100).

It is a common error to believe that everything which is of natural origin is healthy and that natural pigments can be used without any safety precautions. Unfortunately this is not the case. There are natural pigments which are very toxic, such as orpigment or galena. Even earth pigments may contain hazardous minerals like fine quartz or manganese oxide. Even pigments made from vegetable dyes may be hazardous and are not suitable for human consumption! Natural or synthetic origin do not determine a pigment´s toxicity. The decisive factors are the basic material, the degree of fineness and - most importantly - the handling and application area of a pigment.

Brushes used with aqueous binders or oil paints can be cleaned with Olive Oil Soap (#78043, #78045). Olive Oil Soap restores natural oils to skin, brushes and bristles. It coats natural brush bristles with a protective layer of oil, leaving them smooth and extending their life.
Brushes used with acrylic emulsions should be washed immediately after use. Dried acrylic paint can be softened with Methoxypropanol PM (#70920).
Tools used for synthetic or natural resins can only be cleaned with the appropriate solvents.

Hard-Drying Oil and Tung Oil Varnish or siccativated oils are generally unsuitable for the use on wooden kitchen countertops and wooden kitchen utensils. Countertop surfaces can chip and particles of the lacquer can end up in food. Linseed oil is not neutral in taste. Wooden countertops, cutting boards, etc. are best be treated with Walnut Oil (#73500).

The percent amount given in most recipes refer to the weight, rather than to the volume, e.g., a 15% solution of Paraloid B 72 consists of 15 parts by weight of Paraloid, and 85 parts by weight of Ethyl Acetate.

Between 1910 and 1923/24 Hoechst developed a method to measure lightfastness by comparing the dyes with a indigo dyed standard. This method was originally developed for textiles. Lightfastness tests by comparison with the so-called wool standard are international practice today. This wool standard shows values from 1 (bad) to 8 (very good). The maximum value of 8 corresponds to the lightfastness of Indigo, therefore even if a substance is much more lightfast than Indigo it still has a lightfastness of 8.

We clean our own mortars, marble slabs and mullers with an abrasive cleaning agent or with marble dust and water. Tools soiled with materials like organic pigments or Milori Blue can be cleaned with Olive Oil Soap and a scouring pad.

Oil paints are best removed from garments by immediately removing the paint with a dry cloth, then washing it with water and soap - Olive Oil Soap (#78043 - #78050), gall soap, Amytis (#78053); if possible wash in a washing machine as soon as possible. Commercially available stain removers can discolor some fabrics and textiles.
Dried acrylic paints can be softened or dissolved with Methoxypropanol PM (#70920), but bear in mind that Methoxypropanol PM can also dissolve the dye of the fabric and/or cause another stain.

Products sold by Kremer Pigments are supposed to be used for conservation, art and other crafts. Oils bought from Kremer Pigments are not suitable for human consumption, not even natural linseed oil or walnut oil!

Bone Glue, Hide Glue, Rabbit Skin Glue, Gelatine, and Isinglass are animal glues. These glues must first be soaked in water and then heated in a water bath. The heating temperature should never exceed 60 °C; otherwise the glue looses its elasticity and adhesive strength.
When cooling down, the glue will form a gel. Heating it will re-liquefy it.
Animal glue spoils quickly. The shelf life of glue solutions can be improved by keeping it in the refrigerator. It is possible to add 0.5% preservative, such as Biodocarb (#78744).
Wall paints made with animal glue as a binder will permanently remain water-soluble. Old wall-paint has to be removed before applying new paint.

Our pigments, colorants and binders are intended for conservators, artists and craftsmen.
Kremer Pigmente does not supply products for cosmetic use.
We do not handle the products according to cosmetic standards and regulations, and some products can cause allergies when applied on human skin.

Ready-to-use wall paints, including white paints, already contain pigments. Normally, white wall paints contain white pigments and fillers. In order for the pigments to adhere to the wall, the paint also contains a binder. The type of paint (silicate paint, emulsion paint, etc.) determines which binder is contained.

Pigments and binders are present in the paint in a coordinated mixing ratio. If you now add more pigments, this is no longer correct because there is now more pigment than binder. This doesn´t have to go wrong immediately, but there will come a point when the containing binder is no longer sufficient to adhere the pigments to the wall and the paint will begin to chalk.

You can try tinting your paint with a small amount of pigment, but please make trial coats and check that the paint still adheres sufficiently. It is recommended to soak the pigment in water the day before use to avoid lumps. It is essential to check the suitability of the pigment for the binder contained in the wall paint!

Since a white paint already contains white pigments, pastel shades are possible at best. So, for example, you can only make a pink color out of a white color, but not a red one!

We offer empty watercolor pans for making your own watercolors. To fill these empty pans, fill the liquid watercolor into a 10ml syringe, and then put a thin layer of watercolor into the pan. The color can be kept in the syringe. Allow each layer to dry before the next layer is added.
The recipe must be modified if the watercolor cracks during drying (too little binder) or does not dry (too much binder).

The filling and sealing of oil paint tubes is simple, but requires some practice.

• Grind the oil paint into a thick paste. The paint should have the consistency of toothpaste.
  
• Take off the cap of the tube.
  
• Put the oil paint onto a piece of wax paper and roll it up like a self-made cigarette. The paper roll should be small enough to fit into the back of the tube.
  
• Push the paper with the oil paint into the tube and lay it onto a board.
  
• Use a short round wooden stick, about the diameter of a broom stick and about 15 cm long, and roll it on the paper from behind, so the oil paint is pressed into the tube.
  
• Close the cap and flatten the end of the tube with the wooden stick.
  
• Pull the paper carefully out of the tube.
  
• Flatten the end of the tube again, fold the metal (with help of a palette knife or spatula) to close the tube.
  
• Squeeze the folded metal firmly with a pair of pliers.
  

Kremer Pigmente offers a variety of luminescent pigments and fluorescent dyes. Basically they can be distinguished by the type of light effect.

Phosphorescent pigments are substances that glow in the dark after light excitation, #56500 - #56650.

Fluorescent pigments or dyes start to glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. These include the Daylight Fluorescent Pigments, #56000 - #56450, the Fluorescent Colors, #94700 - #94739), the inorganic Fluorescent Pigments (not available any more) and also the Phosphorescent Pigments, #56500 - #56650 (phosphorescent and fluorescent).

A transparent binding medium is essential for an ideal behaviour.
Please take into account that UV-absorbers in your lacquer can reduce the fluorescent behaviour.

Provided that pigments are kept dry and in a closed container they have no expiration date. If pigments become wet, they may agglomerate and will have to be ground before use.
Most of our pigments are supplied in 100g or 1 kg plastic bags. We offer PVC jars, glass bottles, polyethylene and metal buckets for storage containers.

We do pack pigments in jars (extra charge) on request.

Color Pastes are pigments dispersed in water.
Some pigments, e. g. synthetic organic pigments, are difficult to grind with water. By grinding the pigment in a ball mill we can produce a much finer dispersion than by grinding the pigments by hand.
Using a Color Paste is easier, and the formation of dust is avoided.
The jars should always be well-closed in order to avoid the drying of the Color Paste. Color Pastes can only be used in water soluble binders; they are not suitable for solvent-based binders, oils or resins!
Our Color Pastes are sold by weight. The solid content (pigment content) is specified in the catalog. The Color Paste Bismuth-Vanadate Yellow (#27160) contains an extremely heavy pigment, which settles during storage and has to be stirred before use.

The addition of thickener causes an increase in viscosity. Always add thickener very slowly to the ready-made color while stirring well.
Thickener K 15 (#76910) is also suitable for improving the settling behavior. Also coarser particles such as sand are better kept in suspension.
Thickener ASE 60 (#76900) is particularly suitable for filler-like thickening. When left to stand, the heavy filler portion may settle.
The thickening behavior of most acrylic dispersions is not problematic. If the dispersion does not thicken well, the effect can be improved by adding some ammonia up to pH 8.5-9.

Drying oils dry by reaction with oxygen. If you absorb linseed oil with a cloth or paper, the surface is enlarged greatly. This will speed up the drying process, which leads to a heat build-up and at the worst to spontaneous combustion! Therefore it is important to spread the cloth or paper soaked with linseed oil and let it dry in a safe place prior to disposal.
If you want to reuse the oil-soaked rags, etc. they have to be stored in closed metal containers.
Please bear in mind that spontaneous combustion is the main cause of fires in lacquer and paint factories, therefore do not underestimate the danger.

Each pigment needs a different amount of binder. In oil-based binders there can be differences up to 300%, depending on the total particle surface of the pigment.
For example: Blanc Fix needs a very small amount of oil while Terra di Siena and Furnace Black need a lot of oil.

In most cases, cracking is due to two reasons:

1. too low temperature during drying

• Remedy is to increase the temperature or
  
• addition of Texanol (#78100) - 2% Texanol lowers the MFT (minimum film forming temperature) to about half.

2. too high tensions in the paint layer because too much water has evaporated from the paint; this applies in particular to thicker paint applications.

• Rule: The more water has been added to the paint, the thinner the paint layer should be.
  
• The higher the solids content of the paint, the thicker pasty paint layers can dry without tension.

Any kind of paint will need a certain time to dry. Most paints will not dry at very low temperatures, but even too high temperatures can have effect on film formation. The drying time of acrylic paints depends on the type of dispersion, layer thickness and climatic conditions. A 1 mm thick paint layer may easily need a whole week until it is dried through, thicker paint layers will need even longer. Therefore, many artists nowadays use a hair dryer to accelerate drying. Warm, dry air will accelerate the drying process, but it is not advisable. The heat and fast drying will cause acrylic monomers, solvents and other additives to evaporate from the paint. This can cause the paint film to harden, get brittle and enhance yellowing. Exposure to these vapors can cause serious health damage, therefore we advise against the use of hair dryers or other heating equipment on acrylic paints!

Kremer Pigmente sells pigments by weight, usually in bags of 100g and 1kg. Some products are even sold in smaller quantities.

We are frequently asked: “100 grams, how much is this?” 100g simply are 100g, but each pigment has a different volume per weight. 100g of Furnace Black (#47250) will have 5 times the volume of 100g Terra di Siena. Therefore 100g of Furnace Black is not packaged in 100g bags, but in 1kg bags.

Some pets just cannot resist to eat egg tempera or other paints. Please try to keep your cat or dog away from paints and pigments. Even if the paint is non toxic for humans, some substances may be harmful, especially for cats.

Please be careful when handling binders and pigments. Do not eat, drink or smoke at work.

Painting materials and food do not belong onto the same table and not into the same refrigerator; solvents should not be used in living rooms. You should neither put a brush in your mouth, nor touch the canvas with greasy fingers. Always wash your hands before eating.

Boiled water and clean utensils help to improve the shelf life of your paints.
Dust formation should be avoided, even with non-toxic pigments. If necessary use a respirator or dust mask.

Particular caution is necessary when using needle-like, fibrous or toxic pigments.

The exposure to large quantities of solvent can cause nausea, headache, and drowsiness.

Hazard identification and safety advice on the product labels are abbreviated. Detailed information, tips on safety, handling and storage for each product can be found in the info sheets and material safety data sheets on our website.

Not every pigment is suitable for every application.
For example, Green Earth pigments are perfect for oil paints, for wall paints with glue, chalk or casein, but in acrylic dispersions or in silicates they will form lumps, coagulate or solidify.
Ultramarine Blue is very lightfast, non-toxic and stable in most techniques, but outdoors it will be destroyed by acid rain.
Synthetic organic pigments provide brilliant colors for many techniques, in mineral binders, however, they might be washed out by rain.
Cadmium pigments are prohibited for construction or industrial purposes. They produce toxic fumes if burned.

Please find a suitability list on our page Product information.

The color of the pigments shown on your screen may differ from the real color, depending on screen settings, on light conditions etc. It is also extremely difficult to print authentic colors. Therefore we have decided to offer hand-painted color charts rather than printed charts.

The pigment color will also change in different binders. For example, most Green Earths make a very dark green oil color, while they remain relatively light in glue or watercolor.

The hue of a pigment is further influenced by light. This light effect is called metamerism. It is particularly distinctive in blue, green and purple pigments. The mixing of paints containing highly metameric pigments can be very difficult.

RAL or NCS color systems provide a good orientation, but give no information as to which pigments are present in these mixtures. Therefore we cannot assign and determine pigments to RAL colors.

It is not easy to choose the appropriate pigment from a digital picture on a computer screen. If you are looking for a specific colour, it may be helpful to use RAL or NCS colour charts. We can compare the RAL or NCS-codes with our assortment. If you wish, you can also send us paintouts or small samples of the desired pigment. We will then recommend the closest match from our range. Please note that we do not have the possibility to conduct material analysis.
In case you decide to send us a sample, please wrap such samples, especially pigments, thoroughly, for example in a ziploc bag. Folded paper or paper envelopes are not an appropriate packaging for fine powders! If your letter is unreadable because the pigment was not wrapped properly, we will not be able to process your request and will have to dispose of it.

Drying oils such as Linseed Oil, Walnut oil and Poppy Oil dry by oxidation, i.e. absorption of oxygen from the air. This process is slow and can last days, weeks, months or even take years, depending on the type of oil, additives, dilution, film thickness and temperature.
The drying process is comparable with the cooling of freshly cooked pudding. A skin covers the surface while the pudding resp. the paint is still soft underneath. Thick paint may cause the skin to crack or wrinkle or may make the paint underneath to slide on vertical surfaces.

Very durable, fast drying oil laquers can be produced by boiling tung oil with linseed oil. For this purpose we offer tung oil. Tung oil accelerates drying of linseed oil. The addition of mor ethan 10% of tung oil leads to a fern frost pattern. In the past these so-called “ice flower laquers” were used for decorative coatings.
Tung oil must not be confused with tung oil varnish. If pure tung oil gets cold, it turns milky and solidifies. This process can be reversed by heating the oil in a baign marie. The same thing will happen on a wood surface treated with tung oil, therefore we don´t recommend pure tung oil for wood treatment!

Kremer Pigments does not give recommendations for the treatment of exotic woods (Bangkirai, Merbau, Massaranduba etc.). Our oils are suitable for all common European woods, provided that resin pockets on larch etc. were treated properly.
Some exotic woods, especially rubber trees and related plants, may contain substances that prevent the drying of oils. The oil will remain sticky, stain the surface and the oil may not dry and stay in the wood for years (e.g. on wooden floors).
In such cases we definitely recommend preliminary tests on a sample board!

Cosmoloid H 80 (#62800) is a microcrystalline wax which is recommended for iron conservation.
Solve 20 g Cosmoloid H 80 in one liter of Shellsol T (#70460). Dissolving the Cosmoloid H 80 can be accelerated by first melting the wax (at about 80 °C) and mixing it with the solvent afterwards. The solubility of Cosmoloid is improved by using aromatic solvents such as Shellsol A (#70520).
The wax solution has a milky appearance. This milky substance may settle at the bottom of the container after a while. Stir the solution well before using it.
The protection against corrosion is good, but the protective film is not resistant to abrasion.

The particle size of pigments is an important parameter for the practical properties of a pigment. As can be seen (not only) in the case of colored glass powders, the processability and the color shade often depend on the particle size.

In many color theories, three basic colors - yellow, red and blue - are used to create mixtures from them. Actually, with this idea of color, one can mainly print, i.e. put together very thin glazes in halftone dot printing next to and on top of each other in the eye to create color mixtures.
With pigments in image layers, this mixing succeeds only to a very limited extent; each pigment has a unique color effect. Mixtures develop very special properties. This accounts for the richness of color selection with pigments, in contrast to the limited nature of most printing processes.
For the explanation of tri-color printing and common color theories in the classroom, the use of 3 primary colors is common. These theories make it easier to describe the properties of light and color than a practical infinite number of different hues.

Primary Yellow
Permanent Yellow medium in powder (#23310)
Permanent Yellow medium Color Paste in water (#28120)

Primary Red
Permanent Red in powder (#23290)
Permanent Red Color Paste in water (#28490)

Primary Blue
Phthalo Blue in powder (#23050)
Phthalo Blue Color Paste in water (#28900)

With these three glazing pigments, highly lightfast color circles can be created.
If you wanted to extend this range with green, you could use a mixture of cobalt green (#44100) with heliogen green yellowish (#23010, #29050 as color paste).

New* Watercolor Set Primary Colors (#881047)
8 basic colors are handmade from pure pigments and ensure exceptional luminosity.
Content: Eggshell White, Phthalo Blue, Anthraquinone Blue, Scarlet Red, Chinacridone Pink, Brilliant Yellow, Studio Yellow and Furnace Black.

Painter´s Gold Varnish is a solvent based nitrocellulose laquer, which is pigmented with genuine gold particles. The shade and effect of fine gold pigment differs from the one of metal leaf. This is also the case for Painter´s Gold or Rosenoble Gold powder as well as for all kinds of pearlescent or glitter pigments. A small, flake shaped particle can be gold coloured, but it will always remain a small particle. Therefore surfaces coated with these pigments will always look different than genuine gold leaf.

We offer rough stones of azurite, malachite, lapis lazuli, ochre or other minerals depending on availability. These pieces are broken rough stones, which are irregularly shaped, can be of different sizes and weights. The stones are sold by weight. Since each piece can have a different weight, you will only find gram prices in our online shop. This means that we select a piece, weigh it, and then the price is calculated per gram. When ordering, you have the possibility to give us an approximate size according to which we should pick the pieces (e.g. size of a walnut), or you specify a weight and then you will get accordingly one piece (if available) or several small ones according to this weight.

We produce individual oil, acrylic and alkyde resin paints for you.
Please send us a sample or visit us in our color-mill. We will do our best to find the right color for you.

Do you need a specific grain size of one of our products?
We can grind pigments and stone powders from our own production in different grain sizes.

Please use the contact form for inquiries, or write to [email protected].

More and more, the consumer will find an indication of the minimum durability on a product, or the indication „best before“ with a date (BBD). It is important to mention that this is a minimum time specification. The information is practical, for example, for perishable foods. You do not put a large amount of yoghurt in the fridge when their shelf life has expired.
If the BBD for the yogurt is only reached in 3 weeks, but the yoghurt is moldy, you should not trust the BBD. On the other hand, if milk has been kept in the fridge for the whole time, smells good, looks good - why should one not consume the milk after the expiry of the minimum shelf-life?
The same applies for industrial products. Consumers must understand quality in order to assess the suitability of a product before the date of minimum durability and according to the BBD. In the case of products with a shelf life of several years, the indication of a date of minimum durability may facilitate stock planning.
The „best before date“ is no expiration date. The BBD indicates the time until which this product, if properly stored, retains at least its specific characteristics. Normally, the product retains its characteristics significantly above the minimum durability date.
Today the indication of the best-before dates is partly rampant. For example, the BBD in the case of metal oxide pigments from pigment manufacturers: The indication of 10 years BBD is problematic. For iron oxides we actually expect a durability of at least 1000 years. The shelf life of chemical products often depends on the packaging. For example, the shelf life of balsam turpentine oil in tin cans may be limited. The durabilitiy can only be guaranteed for unopened container. If air or moisture enter the container, the sheet may start to rust. Discoloured balsam turpentine oil is no longer suitable for Damar varnishes.
If the customer is not able to conduct the quality inspection himself, he should rely on the assessment of a specialist.
Our experienced expert team is always at your service if you need advice in terms of quality our durability.