How to achieve the right paint color? Case study: Benjamin Paints

Every day, nature surrounds us with a wonderful and perfect palette of colors.

Color characterizes everything around us, from the environment to objects.

The first paintings by man were found in caves located in France and Spain and date back to over 20,000 years ago. We can therefore say that man has been painting and glazing for thousands of years and has therefore developed a profound knowledge of it.

However, let us not presume that the processes relating to paint and its application are predictable or easy to apply.

We often take for granted, how difficult it is to pinpoint the exact shade of color needed to paint objects.

In order to achieve the perfection of colors seen in nature that are pleasing to the eye, well-conducted studies and precise quality control are necessary.

Read on as we dive into this field of color.

Photo by Canva Pro

What is paint?

A simple definition of paint is that it is a substance that consists of a pigment suspended in a liquid or paste form such as oil or water. An interesting characteristic of paint is that it is applied in the form of liquid, but when it dries, it solidifies on the surface.

Although it’s often used to color objects, it’s important to remember that in many cases, paint is also applied to protect the surface from environmental damage.

What are the components of paint?

Modern paints require high-quality raw materials to achieve high-quality results. The main components used to produce paint include:

• Color pigments.
• Solvents that facilitate the application of the pigment on the surface.
• Resins that simplify the drying process.
• Various additives to improve properties such as contamination protection.

Photo by Canva Pro

What are the stages of paint production?

The manufacturing process may vary from one manufacturer to another, but the basic steps are the same, namely:

1. Premixing the pigments with resin, required solvents, and additives to create an initial paste.
2. Despite the use of solvents, some pigments are insoluble, so a dispersion step is required. This is done by either grinding the pigments in a mill or by means of a high-speed dispersion tank.
3. Depending on the type of paint required, the paste is then diluted to the desired viscosity.
4. Packaging the paint. This step varies from one manufacturer to the other, but the most common method used is canning.

What to say about the production of paint colors?

What we’ve talked about so far is how paint is made, but we haven’t mentioned how colors are achieved.

Generally, it all starts in a laboratory, where experts check the quality of the raw materials and create a specific formula for the color paint they want to produce. Then, the same experts carry out quality control throughout the production process to ensure that the formula has not been altered.

However, one of the most critical steps to guarantee that the desired color is achieved is by carrying out a color matching inspection.

How to get accurate and repeatable colors?

Color matching inspection is performed on the final product to ensure that the paint color matches the standard under different constant lighting conditions. This guarantees that the customer is provided with the desired result for their specific application.

There are various ways to compare colors.  For example, a non-destructive testing device like the Professional Colour Difference Meter can be used to measure the color differences between 2 or more samples according to the Lab and Lch colour coordinates.

It has an integrated camera which allows it to be perfectly placed on the measuring area while being clearly viewable on its digital display.

To properly perform the color matching inspection, an experienced observer must make a visual assessment.

The new color is then compared to the standard color, in both thick and thin applications, so that both the bulk tone and the undertone of the color can be assessed. Obviously, a good result is when there is no difference between the new color and the standard one.

Quality control is not only for manufacturers, it’s also for paint suppliers:

The virtuous case of Benjamin Paints.

Photo by Benjamin Paints – Romania

Quality control tests are not only limited to manufacturers.   On the contrary, suppliers can also perform them to ensure product compliance for their customers.

For example, one of our Romanian customers, Benjamin Paints has chosen our SAMA Tools name-brand Color Assessment Cabinet to verify the paint colors they sell.  They found this cabinet to be especially useful during their collaboration with major manufacturers,  like Benjamin Moore from the United States.

In addition, because they offer products and services for interiors, they can benefit from the compact size of the cabinet model they chose, which is convenient to use in both the laboratory and on the production line.

This way, they can offer their customers the exact color they require.

This is why Benjamin Paints is a virtuous example of a paint supplier: This company is extremely attentive to customer satisfaction, which is achieved also thanks to their investment in SAMA Tools state-of-the-art technologies for their quality control.

If you are a paint manufacturer or supplier and you want to improve your quality control, we must get to know each other!

Fill out the form and tell us who you are and what you need.  Our technical department will contact you to discuss it and help you achieve your company goals.