Natural Resins: A "Blank" Canvas When it comes to color in plastics, the resin isn’t just the base—it’s the canvas. Every resin behaves differently in processing, interacts uniquely with pigments, and influences the final appearance of the part. That’s why understanding the natural characteristics of your resin is just as important as the color target itself. What is a "Natural" Resin? A [...]

In color compounding, precision directly impacts product quality and customer trust. The X-RITE spectrometer is a proven tool that ensures measurable accuracy and repeatability in color matching processes. Using advanced spectral measurement technology, X-RITE captures color data with remarkable precision, allowing compounders to replicate colors reliably. Whether working with complex custom colors or industry standards, this device helps eliminate guesswork and costly rejections due to color deviations. This spectrometer offers quantifiable precision, with accuracy [...]

Advancing Plastics: 3D Printing Plastics have transformed 3D printing into one of the most innovative manufacturing methods available today. From prototyping to full-scale production, the versatility of plastics allows for a range of applications in industries like automotive, medical, aerospace, and consumer goods. But not all plastics are created equal. Each 3D printing technology relies on specific polymers with unique properties that affect strength, flexibility, and durability. [...]

Understanding Opacity Light & Plastics In color compounding for plastics, the terms opaque, translucent, and transparent describe how light interacts with the colored plastic, and these differences are critical for achieving the desired visual effects. More often than not, these terms can be confused due to their subtle differences in light transmission and visual appearance: Opaque: Opaque colors completely block the transmission of light, resulting in [...]

Color Quest: Ways to Color Plastic Color concentrate, dry color, and pre-color are all methods of adding color to plastics in the color compounding process, but they differ in their form and how they are incorporated into the plastic: 1.Color Concentrate: Color concentrate, also known as liquid color or color masterbatch, is a concentrated mixture of pigments or dyes dispersed in a carrier resin. It is [...]

Choose Your FX An easy way to transform the visual appearance of plastic products and enhance their appeal is by the use of special effect masterbatches. Special effect masterbatches are additives used in color compounding to achieve unique visual or tactile effects in plastic products. These concentrates contain a combination of pigments, additives, and sometimes special-effect components that impart specific characteristics to the final product. They are typically added to base [...]

RESINS: Selecting the Right Base Choosing the right resin is crucial in color compounding as it directly impacts the properties and performance of the final product. Different resins have unique characteristics such as strength, flexibility, chemical resistance, and processability. These properties influence how well the resin can be compounded with additives and pigments, how the color will appear, and how the product will perform in its intended application. For example, [...]

FDA Approval in Plastics: Do You Need It? FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved plastics and resins are materials that have been deemed safe for use in contact with food and pharmaceuticals, ensuring that they do not contaminate the products they come into contact with. These materials undergo rigorous testing to meet FDA standards. Non-FDA approved plastics and resins, on the other hand, have not gone through this specific [...]

Performance Additive: UV Stabilizers UV packages, also known as UV stabilizers or UV additives, are commonly used in colorants for plastics to protect the material from the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation from sunlight can cause degradation and discoloration of plastics, leading to reduced product lifespan and visual deterioration. UV packages are essential in extending the longevity and appearance of plastic products, especially those exposed to outdoor [...]

Color 101: Colorants in Plastics Color is one of the first things people notice about a product—and in plastics, it’s about a lot more than just appearance. From branding and aesthetics to functionality and compliance, color plays a critical role in how plastic parts are perceived, used, and trusted. But how does plastic actually get its color? Let’s break it down. The Basics: Colorants in Plastics [...]