How to Color Epoxy Resin

Learning how to color epoxy resin is mostly about choosing the right colourant for the effect you want, then adding it in the right amount. A drop of alcohol ink, a smear of pigment paste and a pinch of dry tint can all go into the same clear resin, yet each behaves in a completely different way: one spreads into lacy blooms, one turns the resin opaque as porcelain, and one gives a glassy, stained-glass glow when light passes through it.

This guide walks through the main families of colourant, how they react with epoxy, how much to use and why a simple swatch board will save you far more resin than it costs. The aim is predictable colour, so that what you mix in the cup is what you see once the piece has cured.

Understanding colourant families before you start

Every colourant used in epoxy resin art falls into one of two camps. Pigments are tiny solid particles that sit suspended in the resin and block or reflect light, so they build opacity. Dyes dissolve completely, so they tint the resin while keeping it see-through. Most products sold for resin are one or the other, or a blend of both, and knowing which you are holding tells you most of what you need to know about how it will look.

Whatever you choose, it should be made for resin or at least be free of water. Water-based acrylic paint, food colouring and some craft inks can cloud the mix, leave soft or tacky patches and upset the cure. Resin-specific colourants are formulated to blend in without interfering with the chemistry.

Pigment pastes for solid, even colour

Pigment pastes are concentrated pigment ground into a carrier that mixes cleanly with epoxy. They are the workhorse for opaque colour: crisp whites for lacing when making epoxy resin art, deep blacks, and flat, even tones for river channels or solid tabletops. Because the pigment is already dispersed, a paste stirs in without the specks and streaks that dry powders sometimes leave.

A little goes a long way. Start with a tiny amount on the end of a stirring stick, mix thoroughly and look at a thin smear on a white card. Add more only if you need it. White and black in particular are extremely strong, and overloading them can thicken the resin and make it harder to work.

Alcohol inks and how to color epoxy resin with translucent effects

Alcohol inks are dyes dissolved in alcohol. Dropped onto wet resin, the alcohol pushes outward as it evaporates and the dye forms soft petals, rings and cells. That is why they are popular for petri dishes, abstract art and the coasters often suggested in resin art for beginners. Mixed into the resin instead, they give a clear, jewel-like tint.

• Use sparingly: too much ink adds alcohol to the mix, which can leave the surface soft or slightly tacky.
• Expect fading: dyes are generally less lightfast than pigments, so keep ink pieces out of strong sunlight.
• Layer for depth: a few drops in a thin clear layer, followed by another layer later, builds a deep, three-dimensional look, the basis of several advanced resin art techniques.

Dyes, tints and transparent liquid colours

Liquid translucent tints are the go-to when you want resin to look like coloured glass, a pale sea, smoky amber or a stained window that lets the timber grain show through. They dissolve evenly, so there are no particles to settle, and the colour stays consistent from edge to edge.

The challenge is depth. A tint that looks pale in a shallow cup can look almost black in a thick pour, because light travels through more coloured resin. Always judge transparent colour at the thickness you plan to pour, not in a mixing cup.

Mica and metallic powders in brief

Mica powders add shimmer rather than flat colour. Each flake reflects light, giving pearly, metallic or colour-shifting effects that move as you walk past. They deserve their own guide to mica powder for resin, but for colouring purposes the key point is that mica is an effect pigment: it mixes well with a pigment paste or tint to give a base colour some sparkle. Wear a dust mask when handling any fine dry powder.

How to color epoxy resin in the right amounts

Too little and the colour is weak; too much and the resin may not cure properly. Most resin manufacturers recommend keeping total colourant to a small fraction of the mixed weight, so check your product’s data sheet and treat its limit as a ceiling, not a target. In practice, many projects need far less than the maximum.

1. Mix resin and hardener first, fully and at the correct ratio, before adding colour.
2. Weigh or count your additions, whether that is drops of ink or grams of paste, so you can repeat the colour.
3. Split into cups if you need several colours from one batch, and label each one.
4. Stir slowly and scrape the sides to avoid streaks and trapped air.

Write every recipe down so you can match it later.

Testing swatches: how to color epoxy resin without surprises

A swatch board is the single most useful step in colouring resin, whatever style of resin art you practise. Pour small samples into silicone moulds or onto a sheet of acetate, at the depth you intend to use, and let them cure fully. Hold each one against the light, over the timber you plan to use and in the room where the piece will live.

Colours often shift as resin cures, and they look very different over dark walnut than over pale oak. A swatch shows you the truth before you commit a large, expensive pour. Keep cured samples with the recipe written on the back.

Throughout all of this, work in a well-ventilated room, wear nitrile gloves and use an organic-vapour respirator when mixing, especially when working with alcohol-based inks.

To understand why some colourants sit suspended while others dissolve, Wikipedia’s article on pigments explains the difference between pigments and dyes, and how mica-based pearlescent pigments create shimmer and colour shift.

Related guide: Mica Powder: Uses, Colours & Pigment Guide for Resin

Frequently asked questions

Can I use acrylic paint to color epoxy resin?

It is best avoided. Most acrylics contain water, which can cloud the resin and interfere with the cure. If you do experiment, use only a very small amount and test it first, but resin-specific pigments give far more reliable results.

Why has my coloured resin stayed sticky?

The usual cause is too much colourant, especially alcohol-based inks, or resin and hardener that were not mixed thoroughly before the colour went in. Stay within the manufacturer’s limit and mix the base fully first.

How do I get the same colour twice?

Weigh both the resin and the colourant on a digital scale, note the exact amounts and keep a cured swatch. Matching by eye from memory rarely works.

Watch colour come alive in resin

For a closer look at how colour, light and timber work together in a finished piece, take a look at this video from the Go Bespoke YouTube channel, @go-bespoke, where we share our resin and lighting builds.

Not sure which colours suit your piece? Get in touch for a bespoke quote.