SERIES NUMBER

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Pigment Number

Paints should be labelled with the pigment number to show what they are made from. If there is just one pigment number they are single pigment paints. If there are two or more they are a mixed pigment paint. Pigment numbers are really helpful to translate colours from one medium to another - for example if you like a colour in oils and want to find it in watercolour, the pigment number may be helpful. However, the one pigment number may have many varied versions.

PW = Pigment White Eg Titanium White is PW6.
PY = Pigment Yellow
PO = Pigment Orange
PR = Pigment Red
PV = Pigment Violet
PB = Pigment Blue
PG = Pigment Green
PBr = Pigment Brown
PBk = Pigment Black

Sometimes there is a further number, so PB15 is phthalo blue, but PB15:3 is the Green Shade, PB15:6 is the Red Shade. - JB

Pigment Numbers

To make pigment identification easier to remember, paints use a code known as the Color Index Name. This is a standardized list which is internationally recognized by all manufacturers. And it provides artists with the most trustworthy way to identify colors used in paint ingredients.

This handy color index avoids having to use the technical chemical names of pigments. It’s a pretty simple code and begins with the letter P (for pigment) followed by some letters to indicate a basic color category:

Ok… This next bit is slightly geeky, but you may ask yourself the following question when you start examining paint labels. Take the example of Daniel Smith watercolors. When you look at their color chart you can see several paint colors which use the same single pigment, but which have different color appearances. For example, the colors Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone Rose, and Quinacridone Violet all use one single pigment labeled PV19. So how can they produce different hues if they all contain the same pigment?

​The pigment number is not always a guarantee of color appearance. Pigments can exist in slightly different forms but still have the same chemical composition. So chemically speaking they are classed as PV19 but they produce different color results. Paint manufacturers can take advantage of this to produce a greater variety of colors. Thankfully, this is only the case for a few pigments. - WA