Name: Cal-Tint II Universal Tinting Colorants
Brand: Vibrantz
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (88 reviews)

Cal Tint Universal Paint Colorant

Just getting started and you're either not sure which colors you need, or you need a portable carrying solution? We suggest you try the Cal-Tint Starter Set that comes with 12 colors and a custom carrying rack. This is the most popular solution for artists at theaters, studios, and theme parks.

Cal-Tint ® 830 Colorants from Chromaflo are Universal Paint Colorants that are designed to be compatible with most water-based and solvent-based paints, plasters, putties, and other decorative coatings. Cal-Tint has been the industry standard for reliability for well over 20 years at this point. It provides repeatability due to it's extremely accurate production, and easy to use dispensing cap.

Important: In April 2022, Prince International combined with Chromaflo Technologies and the acquired Ferro Corporation to form Vibrantz Technologies. Cal‑Tint is now part of Vibrantz’s color solutions portfolio; formulations remain consistent but labels and caps may vary.

Universal Paint Tint

Cal-Tint is what most refer to as a "Universal Paint Tint" - it works with nearly every water-based and solvent-based paint on the market today. We sell hundreds of units each month, primarily to film, TV, and live performance sets since it is so easy to work with and clean up. The easy-to-use squeeze bottles allow easy control of the amount of colorant you need, while keeping the process clean. No more worrying about drips going down the side of your paint can while tinting paint!

Packaged in 16oz. squeeze bottles - perfect for quick, easy, and clean tinting on-the-job
Lead-Free
Strength controlled "+/- 2 vs. standard"
Most colors(anything not labeled "interior") are formulated to be light-fast, allowing for outdoor/UV exposed surfaces.
Self-Cleaning Cap

Available Cal Tint Colors & Common Names

Lamp Black — also called lampblack or carbon black (PBk7).
Bulletin Red — classic sign-painters "bulletin" red.
Venetian Red — a red oxide earth tone often searched as "red oxide" (PR101).
Raw Sienna / Yellow Oxide — sometimes called "yellow ochre" (PY42 family).
Burnt Sienna — earth orange/brown (typically PBr7/PR101 family).
Raw Umber — natural brown iron-oxide earth (PBr7).
Burnt Umber — calcined umber (PBr7).
Phthalo Blue — also spelled "Thalo" Blue (PB15 family).
Phthalo Green — also spelled "Thalo" Green (PG7/PG36 family).
Violet — often called "Dioxazine/Carbazole Violet" (PV23).
Permanent (Organic) Red — a naphthol family red (PR188/PR254).
Perma Cal Orange — also listed as "Permanent Orange".
Interior Yellow
Exterior Light Yellow
Exterior Medium Yellow
Light Green

Cal-Tint & Colortrend FAQ

Are Cal-Tint 830 colorants truly "universal"?: Cal-Tint 830 colorants are formulated for broad compatibility in architectural trade sales coatings, including latex systems (PVA, acrylic, styrene-butadiene, alkyd-modified emulsions, and other water-based systems) and conventional solvent-type finishes (flat through gloss alkyd enamels, oil-type house paints, sash & trim paints, and wood stains). Always recheck compatibility if the base paint formula changes. It's important to understand the concept of "maximum tint load" - you can't continually add more colorant, there is a maximum amount that can be suspended in any given base.
What’s the relationship between Cal-Tint 830 and Colortrend 888?: They correspond to roughly the same universal colorant technology. 830 is packaged in 16-oz squeeze bottles for on-the-job tinting, while 888 is the machine-dispensable version used in volumetric tinting systems and comes in quarts/gallons.
Can I use these colorants in exterior paints?: Yes. Except anything labeled "interior". Organic reds and yellows are more sensitive to high-UV environments. In such conditions, evaluate the specific colorant/base combination or favor iron-oxide/earth tones for best long-term performance.
Will these work in solvent-based paints and wood stains?: Yes. Cal-Tint contains glycol which helps it mix/suspend. The 830 series is compatible with many solvent-type architectural coatings, including alkyd enamels, oil-type house paints, and wood stains. Always do a small test batch before committing to production or job use. The maximum tint load in solvent-based bases will be lower than water-based bases.
Do I need special equipment to dispense them?: No. We fit every bottle (by hand) with special dispensing caps before shipping. Just manually squeeze from the plastic bottle. If you plan to use them in a machine, we recommend considering the 888 colorant line. Contact us for more info.
How consistent is the tint strength from bottle to bottle?: Vibrantz controls colorants to a tint-strength tolerance of ±1% by volume (ΔE < 0.5 vs. standard).
Do the colorants settle or form a skin?: They do settle, but generally do not form a skin. The glycol will rise to the top after the bottle sits for weeks. We shake each bottle upon receipt, and before shipping to you. Generally about 10-15s of shaking is enough, but if you need exact repeatability we'd recommend 1-2 minutes by hand or just use a machine.
How many VOCs does cal-tint have?: VOC varies per color. Values range in the several-hundred g/L range. The effect on your final paint depends on how much colorant you add: added VOC ≈ (colorant VOC × colorant volume) ÷ total paint volume. Check the TDS for the specific color and confirm local VOC compliance for your use case.
Do these colorants work in specialty 2K systems (epoxies, polyurethanes)?: In very small amounts, yes. Remember that tint load is extremely important. We have used it successfully in ML Campbell lacquer over the years.
Can I mix different Cal-Tint colors together?: Absolutely. The colorants are designed to be used in professional systems where they are blended to reach target shades. Generally we like recording additions by weight(grams) for the most precise repeatability. If you just need rough repeatability, measure by "drops" out of the dispensing cap.

BUYER BEWARE

Other sellers may sell older stock of Cal Tint. US Paint Supply sells a high volume of Cal Tint ensuring we are always rotating our stock so that you have a fresh product. Plus, we've got the best price!