(1) Be careful when mixing color. It usually starts with a sample test where primary colors and secondary colors are mixed together to get the quantity and then make bulk sample according to the sample.

(2) Add primary colors first (colors in large amount but low tinting strength), and then add slowing the secondary colors (with large dying power) and stir continuously while observing the color change.

(3) “From light to dark”, do not add too much amount of pigment, especially pigments with high tinting strength.

(4) During color mixing, the color of coating and that of the dried coating film may be different. Usually the color is lighter when it is wet and darker after dried. Therefore, if the sample is dry, then the make color comparison after the mixed paint is dried; if the sample is wet, drop the sample into the mixed paint to observe is their colors are the same.

(5) Know the floating degree of primary colors in the compound color paint and the changes of paint vehicle. Special attention shall be paid if it is amino coating and perchloroethylene coating.

(6) When making compound color coating, select coatings of the same nature to mix and the solvent system shall be mutually soluble. Otherwise, bad mixing solubility may affect the quality and even have layers, precipitation or gelling and the coating cannot be used.

(7) Colors often have different color heads. If you are mixing green, yellow with green head and blue with yellow head are often used; if you are making fuchsia, blue with red head and red with blue head shall be used; if you are making orange, red with yellow head and yellow with read head shall be used.

(8) Do not forget additives to be added during color mixing process, for example, drier, curing agent, diluent and other agents that may change the color.

(9) When making gray, green and other compound color paint, due to many pigments are used and their density and oil absorption amount are different, there may be “flooding” and “floating”, in which case a few surfactant or leveling agent and anti-flooding agent to solve the problem. For example, 0.1% silicone oil is often added to prevent. One must recognize the solvent system and the adding amount is usually 0.1% to 1%.

(10) Because the paint film of color paint is transparent, proper base color can be used to make the color of top coating more bright. This is based on the principle of reflection and absorption of natural light. The base color and primary color overlapping will generate a color called “translucent color” in coating engineering. For example, yellow base paint can make the red brighter, and the gray base paint makes red paint darker, and the water blue base paint makes white cleaner. For cream, pink, Ivory and sky blue, white pain shall be used as the base paint. Table 4-13 lists common pigment varieties. Pigments of the same variety may differ in hue, brightness and saturation, which shall be paid attention by the user. The table also lists common color matching for compound paint. But the making of a detailed color will need many experiments according to the above skills.