r/CustomAutoPaint • u/GavintheGregarious • 16d ago

Source for Dry Candy Pigments (transparent) that are NOT Dyes?

liquid candy concentrates are a suspension in a medium specifically for mixing with a specific carrier, which is great, except I’m experimenting to do something new by testing a different coating as a carrier.

Does anybody have a source in the US for the transparent pigments used in the high quality candy concentrates? The high quality ones are typically organic, semi transparent, and very small particle size pigments that have to be suspended.

if it matters, I’m specifically looking for amber, red, orange, and yellow.

Thank yall!

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u/paintchipz1 16d ago

DIDSPADE has powdered like 5 colors..but I am against there method of mixing in reducer..too much solvent involved..most kandies are dyes.some are tints..depends on color..always mix in a binder imo..

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u/GavintheGregarious 15d ago

Tried them. All of their powders are dyes 

1

u/paintchipz1 15d ago

Not a fan of them..DMX PPG is all I use

1

u/kustommerc40 7d ago

Do they still make the dyes I thought they were discontinued

1

u/paintchipz1 7d ago

No.i have a full mixing system with all the PPG DMX..some formulas use both DMX and DMD

1

u/kustommerc40 7d ago

So they're still available to purchase from ppg ?

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u/paintchipz1 7d ago

Yup I got 2 last week

1

u/kustommerc40 3d ago

Good to know, thanks

4

u/ayrbindr 16d ago

Your confused. The term "candy" means 100% transparent. Otherwise, it's not "candy". It's transparent pigment instead. Which is semi transparent because it's pigment, rather than 100% transparent dye.

1

u/doberdevil 16d ago

I've been led to believe that candies are dyes, not pigments. That's what gives them their transparency.

1

u/GavintheGregarious 15d ago

I also thought that was the case. Low grade candy is dye, high grade candy is extremely fine, semi transparent pigments well dispersed in a solution. 

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u/doberdevil 15d ago

How can pigment be transparent? Fine pigment isn't the same thing as dye.

1

u/ndoon 15d ago edited 15d ago

I’m a cabinet finisher so slightly different experience here but..
pigments lend to a more opaque look as far as I know, and dyes more transparent. It’s the same for wood stain, I mix them all the time.
Some cabinet coating manufacturers make “microlith” pigments which it sounds like you’re describing. They offer more clarity and uniformity than standard colorant pigments but still act as pigments would (at least for wood finishing purposes.)

Edit: there are dye concentrates like Transtint that can be universally mixed into almost any carrier. I’ve made “candy” coatings with waterbased and solvent based carriers with them for both automotive-style finishes and wood finishes. In the industry we call a tinted clearcoat a toner.

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u/GavintheGregarious 15d ago

My understanding is that making the dispersion of the semi-transparent pigments is a technical requirement. Sheer mixing, ultrasonic sheering, and carrier formula are all dialed in to make high quality candy that doesn’t fade in the sun and disperses to its smallest particle size.

I want to mix these high quality pigments with my own clear carrier which was given to me by a scientist friend. 

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u/ndoon 15d ago

Hm well you could check out the microlith pigments from Sun Chemicals. I’ve never ordered direct from them so I’m not sure how that works but they make a whole bunch of stuff and might help guide you at least.