Applications
Find the right pigment for your system — coatings, printing inks, plastics, and masterbatch
Choosing the right organic pigment starts with understanding your application requirements. Different systems — from solvent-borne industrial coatings to water-based printing inks and high-temperature engineering plastics — demand different pigment chemistries, particle size distributions, and surface treatments.
Below is our application-based pigment selection guide, mapping pigment families and grades to their best-fit systems based on dispersibility, fastness requirements, and regulatory compatibility.
Select by Application
Coatings & Paints
| Maximum outdoor durability | Quinacridone (PV19), DPP (PR254) |
| Best blue or green | Phthalocyanine (PB15:3, PG7) |
| Cost-effective interior | Azo yellows (PY83), BONA reds (PR57:1) |
| Water-based system | Surface-treated azo or phthalo grades |
| High-gloss finish | Small particle size grades (<0.1 µm) |
Plastics & Masterbatch
| PA/PC (>280°C) | Phthalocyanine, Quinacridone, DPP |
| PP/PE (200–250°C) | Disazo (PY83), Benzimidazolone (PY151) |
| No migration | High MW: Phthalo, Quinacridone, DPP |
| Food-contact | Phthalocyanine (selected grades) |
| Transparent tint | Solvent dyes |
Printing Inks
| Offset process set | PY12/13, PR57:1, PB15:3 |
| Flexo solvent-based | PY14, PY83, PR48:2, PB15:3 |
| Flexo water-based | PY74, PR146, PB15:3 |
| Gravure packaging | PY83, PR122, PB15:4 |
| UV-curable | PB15:3, PV19, PR254 |
| Inkjet | Ultra-fine grades (<200 nm) |
Inkjet & Digital
| Aqueous inkjet | Surface-treated PB15:3, PR122 nano |
| Solvent inkjet | PB15:3, PV19 (narrow PSD) |
| UV inkjet | PB15:3, PR254 (low photoinitiator interference) |
| Toner / EP | PB15:3, PR122, PY180 |
Select by Performance Property
| Requirement | Best Pigment Families | Typical Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Heat stability >300°C | Phthalocyanine, Quinacridone, DPP | PB15:3, PV19, PR254 |
| Lightfastness Grade 8 | Phthalocyanine, DPP, Quinacridone | PB15:3, PG7, PR254 |
| Migration resistance | HP pigments, Phthalocyanine | PV19, PB15:3, PR254 |
| High transparency | Azo (disazo), Phthalocyanine | PY12, PB15:3 (transparent grade) |
| High opacity | Inorganic, large-particle organic | Iron oxides, Chrome yellows |
| Chemical resistance | Phthalocyanine, Quinacridone, DPP | PB15:3, PV19 |
| Low cost | Monoazo, Disazo, Chrome pigments | PY74, PY83, PR57:1 |
| Food contact | Selected Phthalocyanine, selected HP | Case-by-case |
Select by Color
| Target Shade | Organic Option | Inorganic Option |
|---|---|---|
| Warm yellow | PY83 (Disazo) | PY42 (Iron Oxide Yellow) |
| Greenish yellow | PY74 (Monoazo), PY3 | PY184 (Bismuth Vanadate) |
| Orange | PO13 (Disazo), PO36 (Benzimidazolone) | PO82 (Chrome Orange)* |
| Bluish red | PR122 (Quinacridone), PR202 | PR101 (Iron Oxide Red) |
| Yellowish red | PR254 (DPP), PR112 (Naphthol) | PR104 (Molybdate Orange)* |
| Violet | PV19 (Quinacridone), PV23 (Dioxazine) | — |
| Blue | PB15:3 (Phthalocyanine) | PB28 (Cobalt Blue), PB29 (Ultramarine) |
| Green | PG7 (Phthalocyanine) | PG17 (Chrome Green)* |
* Check local regulatory status before specifying.
Still Not Sure?
Contact our technical team with your application details — we’ll recommend the right pigment with a free evaluation sample where available.
Ask Our Engineers[kc_posts topic=”applications”]