In part one of this article, we learned about the different ingredients needed in order to make paint. In this article, we’ll be discussing how these beautiful pigments and strange additives combine to become what we know as paint!
There are plenty of different ways to manufacture paint, and every brand has its own special technique, but generally speaking, there are 4 main parts of the paint-making process: measuring the ingredients, creating the “mill base”, combining everything into one, and packaging.
First and foremost we have to measure the ingredients. This may seem insignificant, but it actually is one of the steps that take the most time, as these paints are often manufactured in large amounts. In this step, all of the pigments, bases, and vehicles are weighted and measured out in strict proportions to be used in the next steps.
After the measurements, the mill base is created when “raw pigments are crushed and dispersed, creating a dry substance” (Spruce).
The combining step takes place once the mill base and binder/vehicles are ready to use. Both of these are combined using a paint-mixing machine, and some extra additives are added in order to preserve it. By this step, the paint is complete!
In the last step, the paint is simply poured into metal cans or tubes, packaged, and shipped out to stores.
And that my friends is how paint is made! I hope reading this article added a bit of color (wink, wink) to your day and that you learned something new!
See you all next time, happy learning!
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