Last Updated on October 2, 2022
Technically, you can use base paint without tint. But in practical life, this isn’t a pretty good idea. When you use the customized base paint without tints, it will expose the previous color of the painted surface. The paint will wear out sooner than you expected. So, use the base paint always with tint for better durability and color of the painted surface.
Base paint works as customization, and many homeowners use it to get their custom color for the fence, outdoor walls, and even indoors. Well, there’s no harm in using the base to create the color you want unless you are doing it correctly.
And that’s where most people fall behind. They often use only the base paint and later face its consequences.
What Does Base Paint Mean?
Before we discuss why you shouldn’t use base paint without tint, let’s clarify our idea on base paint. It is essential since many people have a misconception about base paint. So, here are the two most important things about base paint:
- The base paint isn’t a primer. Likewise, with primer, you can’t use base paint to create the base coat for preparing the surface for painting.
- The base paint isn’t also used as a base player of the paint. Instead, you can use it to create custom colors by mixing different base colors with different ratios. You will need to mix it with other paints or tint to get your customized color.
Base paint comes in clear or white color. Mixing them in various ratios with the tint or other paint unfolds the magic to create different colors. Thus, painters and homeowners use base paint to get different color shades for home painting.
While you may mix base paints without tint, it isn’t a practical idea. Firstly, the customized color won’t be durable. It will expose the previous color of the surface if there are any. Also, tint helps in increasing the bonding of the customized color for better durability.
What Is Tint Painting?
Now, let’s see what tint painting means since it will help us know why you should always use tint with your base paint. The process of tint painting refers to adding different colorants in various ratios to get your desired paint color.
The colorants are marketed as concentrated paint pigments. So, even a pinch of colorant might be equal to a container full of base paint. Adding a little colorant as the tint will make a huge difference in the paint color customization process.
That’s why beginners find it extremely hard to achieve their desired colors. If you find it difficult to mix the colorants to get your favorite color tone, you can follow various online tutorials. It would make the process easy and fast.
Can I Use Base Paint Without Tint?
Technically speaking, yes, you can use base paint without tint. But the result won’t be satisfactory, and the color will lose much of its attractiveness sooner as it starts fading away. It will, therefore, expose the original color of the surface, which you want to hide in reality.
You must add the colorant, aka tint, to transform the base paint into a complete paint. Also, it will ensure proper paint coverage.
Many people think that colorant or tint isn’t necessary for white paints. But this concept is wrong too. You have to add a tint with the pure white paint as well for the sake of completeness. Otherwise, the pure white paint will start fading away and look ugly.
Also, when you apply any base paint without the tint, it will transform into a clean or transparent coverage when the paint dries. It means you will get almost no coverage. Therefore, using the tint with the base paint is your best option to prevent such messes.
Tips on Tinting the Base Paint
Now that we know the importance of using tint with base paint, your next question might be, “How do I tint base paint?”
Thankfully, the process of tinting the base paint is easier than most people think. Thus, even beginners can tint their base paint with ease. For this, keep all your colorants or tints ready in one place. Once you are ready with the colorants, you can follow these steps and suggestions.
- You should mix a small amount of all the colorants and base paint. Then, check the result after a while.
- Follow the trend and continue mixing the colorants in a small ratio until you truly find your desired color. It is a time-consuming job and so, be prepared for it.
- When you gather experience on the actual ratio of the colorants, you can add them in larger portions for the base paint.
- Beginners should always start with a small amount of tint or colorants. Once they understand the ratio, they can then build upon it for the actual base paint in a larger amount to paint the surface.
- When you build up the color with a small mixture, you can easily tweak the ratio to change the paint color and its tone. It ensures a perfect tinting process.
- When you plan to mi three or more colors, you must be on your toes. Also, you must never try adding a large amount of tinting material with the base paint, as you are never sure of the color ratio and what it will bring.
The key to a successful base paint creation is to work with patience and attentiveness and work slowly. You will find the time and labor invested in the tinting process worth it once you find the right paint color and it dazzles on the painted surface.
Final Words
So, here’s the short answer to your question, “Can I use medium or deep base paint without tint?” No, you should never apply the base paint without tinting it.
Ideally, you must tint the base paint slowly in a smaller ratio to get the perfect color rendition. Plus, tinting the base paint will boost its longevity and eye-catchy feel that you will love.
I am extremely happy to share with you my experience throughout SprayerBoss. As a painter, I like to experiment with new sprayers from different brands. Since my first painting, I love to learn new things every time I doing a painting project for my own or clients. I have painted fences, walls, furniture, cabinets, cars, etc. but painting furniture is more challenging to me. Hope you will get the easiest way I found myself to overcome the difficulties towards a better finish. My hunger is to find the best paint sprayer that took less effort but budgets friendly.