EPU 46 Color Mixing
EPU 46 Part A Color Base unlocks direct coloration. Users can now create their own wide range of opaque and translucent colors with excellent printability and mechanical properties. This course will provide instruction for developing and mixing custom colors for your applications.
This course focuses on the custom tinting of EPU 46 Color Base Part A only. See Bulk Mixing for information about mixing equipment, weighing and the mixing workflow.
Custom colors are created by mixing various pigment dispersions with EPU 46 Color Base Part A, which is a thick, clear liquid. The pigment dispersions provide color and opacity to Part A. After Part A has been tinted, it will need to be mixed with EPU 46 Part B and/or Huntsman Jeffamine D230 according to the desired softness (standard, Soft or Extra Soft).
If you want a simpler workflow or color is not an important factor, use EPU 46 Part A Black, which is ready to be mixed with EPU 46 Part B and/or Huntsman Jeffamine D230 for printing.
Carbon has carefully calculated the color options so they all print well when using the provided options in the resin menu. So light blue, bright red and dark green will all print similarly.
Because of these precise formulations, it is critical to follow the recipes and strategies below to maximize print success. Inaccurate measuring and mixing of pigment dispersion may affect print quality.
Three options are available in the resin menu of the printer interface:
- EPU 46 Coloration
- EPU 46 Coloration Soft
- EPU 46 Coloration Extra Soft
Select the setting that matches your chosen softness.
A painter can create any shade they need by combining a few base colors, such as titanium white and indigo to make light blue. Like tubes of paint, tint bases are the basic colors used for creating custom shades. With these basic colors, you have an enormous amount of flexibility and can achieve a wide array of colors.
When properly prepared, tint bases can be mixed in any combination and will be printable using the appropriate resin option in the printer interface. This means that you can freely experiment to create the color or colors that work best for your application.
Carbon provides recipes for 6 different tint bases: White, Red, Cyan, Green, Magenta, and Yellow. EPU 46 Part A Black is purchased directly from Carbon and is the seventh tint base.
The table below shows the tint bases, EPU 46 Part A Black and their approximate equivalent RGB values.
Developing custom colors with tint bases is easy. But it is critical to accurately record the amount of each tint base that is added to your custom color. Without an accurate record, it will be extremely difficult to reproduce the exact color again.
All scales have a tare button that resets the scale counter to zero. Use this button after adding each ingredient. This will reset the scale to zero making it easy to accurately measure the next ingredient that you add.
Loading tolerance is +/- 5% of the target amounts.
For example, when mixing 500 g of white tint base, 498.06 g of EPU 46 Part A Color Base is required. The tolerance of 5% allows plus or minus 24.90 g. So the actual range is from 473.16 g to 522.96 g.
Tighter tolerances may be required to meet application-specific requirements.
Parts will typically yellow slightly during the thermal curing process. For this reason, Carbon recommends making final decisions on color until after sample parts have been fully cured.
Once a tint base or custom color Part A has been mixed, it can be stored for several months. Agitation is recommended before use. Always store Part A in a UV opaque container.
EPU 46 Part A Color Base
The base component. A high-viscosity clear material. Must be tinted before printing.
EPU 46 Part A Black
Capable of producing black parts and as a tint base when mixing colors.
Pigment Dispersions
A powdered pigment that has been mixed with a solvent. Typically, very small amounts of pigment dispersion are required to achieve the desired results. For example, when mixing 1000 g of white tint base, only 3.9 g of white pigment dispersion is required.
Approved pigment dispersions:
- Wikoff SCUV 14611 White
- Hostatint Yellow A-H3G 100
- Hostatint Red A-D3GD 130
- Hostatint Green A-GNX 130
- Hostatint Blue A-BTG 100-ST
- Hostatint Pink A-EB 100-ST
Contact your Carbon representative for a list of vendors.
Carbon only supports the pigment dispersions listed above. Reach out to your Carbon representative if you have a target color that is outside of the currently defined color space.
For more information about the items listed below, see Bulk Mixing Materials & Equipment.
EPU 46 Color Mixing Calculator
This downloadable spreadsheet contains interactive worksheets to assist you. These include:
- Recipes for preparing tint bases in arbitrary quantities
- A table to assist with the development of custom color recipes.
- Worksheet for creating large batches of custom colors based on your recipes
- Recipes for mixing several custom colors using tint bases
Mixer
Mixing equipment is required to properly blend materials together. Options include:
- Overhead mixer
- Vortex mixer
- Planetary mixer
High Precision Scale
A high precision scale accurate to at least 0.01 g is required. This level of accuracy is required due to the relatively small amounts of pigment dispersions used in color mixing.
- Consider maximum weight capacity for your printer/application
Use a mixing container that is appropriate for your mixer. Be aware that the container must be large enough to hold your target amount.
- Overhead mixer - HDPE or PP wide mouth container
- Vortex mixer - paint can
- Planetary mixer - planetary mixing cups
Pipette
Used to dispense smaller amounts of ingredients. This should be the primary tool for dispensing pigment dispersions.
Tint bases are the best place to start experimenting with color. Once you have prepared all of the tint bases, you can develop custom colors.
Color Matching
For help with color matching, reach out to your Carbon representative.
Tint bases must be used to ensure the printability of custom colors .
Setup
- Open the EPU 46 Color Mixing Calculator and go to the Tint Base Recipes tab.
- Select the tint base color to be mixed in step 1.1.
- Enter the target amount to be mixed in step 1.2. 500 g is a reasonable starting point for each tint base.
- The target amounts will be displayed in the Target column.
Dispense and measure
- Start with EPU 46 Part A Color Base. This will prevent the pigment from sticking to the sides of the container.
- Dispense the target amount into the mixing container. Be aware that Part A is quite viscous and may require patience to dispense.
- To add smaller amounts of Part A, it may be necessary to clip the tip off a pipette and use it to transfer resin to the mixing container.
- Record the actual amount dispensed in the Actual column of the Tint Base Recipes worksheet.
- Press tare to set the scale to zero.
- Repeat steps 1-4 for each additional ingredient as needed.
Mix
Now that all of the ingredients have been added, mixing can begin.
For instructions on using your specific mixer, consult Bulk Mixing.
Mixer Type | Mix Time | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Overhead | 1.5 hours | Varies by amount. Start slow and ramp up as needed. | Ensure mixing blades are positioned approximately ⅓ of the container content height from the bottom of the mixing container. After mixing cycle is complete, use silicone spatula to scrape bottom and sides of mixing container to capture any unmixed pigment, then mix for an additional 5 minutes. |
Vortex | 16 minutes | - | - |
Planetary | 10 minutes | 2000 rpm | - |
Repeat for each tint base
Repeat steps 1 - 3 above for each tint base until you have a full set.
The Color Mixing tool on the printer dashboard now offers EPU 46 color mixing information. This tool offers the ability to manually select target colors and automatically calculates the resin recipe for the desired amount. This tool offers both tint base and direct pigment dispersion options.
- Go to the Carbon Printer Dashboard.
- In the lower portion of the left menu bar, select Color Mixing.
- Select EPU 46.
- Select the desired colored by clicking in the color field or enter values manually.
- Enter the amount of resin to mix.
- Use the values in Pigments or Tints tab, depending on the preferred workflow.
Once the tint bases have been created, you can begin experimenting with color! This section will describe the process of creating a small amount of a custom color. This initial batch will be used to print test parts.
Prep
- Open the EPU 46 Color Mixing Calculator and go to the Custom Color Dev tab.
- If necessary, print the sheet to record values in the lab. Enter the values into the digital spreadsheet later to calculate your recipe.
- Gather the relevant tint bases that will be used.
- Place the mixing container on the scale.
Add & Mix
- Press tare to reset the scale to zero.
- Add the first tint base to the mixing container.
- Record the precise weight of the tint base in column 1 (1st iteration). For example, enter 50.59 in the White row if starting with white tint base.
- Press tare to reset the scale.
- Repeat this process with each tint base that you add.
- Use the mixer to mix the tint bases into a uniform color.
- Assess the mixture for color accuracy.
Mixers and Mixing Times
Mixer Type | Mix Time | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Overhead | 1.5 hours | Varies by amount. Start slow and ramp up as needed. | Ensure mixing blades are positioned approximately ⅓ of the container content height from the bottom of the mixing container. After mixing cycle is complete, use silicone spatula to scrape bottom and sides of mixing container to capture any unmixed pigment, then mix for an additional 5 minutes. |
Vortex | 16 minutes | - | - |
Planetary | 10 minutes | 2000 rpm | - |
Adjust
- If necessary, repeat the steps in Add & mix, entering additional tint base weights into column 2 (2nd iteration) on the Custom Color Dev sheet.
- Continue iterating until the desired color is achieved.
Save the Recipe
- If using a printed version of the Custom Color Dev worksheet, enter the values in the digital version of the sheet.
- The resin recipe will be displayed in the 2.0 Resin recipe table as percentages of pigment dispersions, EPU 46 Part A Color Base and EPU 46 Part A Black.
- Save a copy of this worksheet. This worksheet contains the recipe of your custom color. Save it so that you can use it for creating large batches in the future.
- Save a digital copy using File → Save As…
- Optional: Print a physical copy of the worksheet and store for later use.
Without the recipe you will not be able to precisely recreate your custom color.
Now that you have the custom color recipe, you can make large batches by directly adding pigment dispersions to the color base. This eliminates the intermediate step of creating larger amounts of tint bases and then mixing them together.
Calculate
1. Go to the EPU 46 Color Mixing Calculator and open the Scale Up tab.
2. In step 1.0, enter the desired target weight of the custom color Part A that you wish to mix.
3. Enter the resin recipe percentages from 2.0 Resin recipe of the Custom Color Dev tab into the % column of green boxes in step 2.0 Enter the Resin Recipe values…
- Enter three decimal places of accuracy which is necessary to ensure accurate larger scale batches.
4. The target weights for each required ingredient will now be displayed in the Target column along with the tolerances.
Add and Mix
1. Place an appropriately sized mixing container on the scale.
2. Press tare to reset the scale.
3. Add the target amount of EPU 46 Part A Color base to the mixing container.
- Be careful to accurately dispense so that you stay within the tolerance limits.
4. Record the precise weight of the amount dispensed in the Actual column.
5. Press tare to reset the scale.
6. Repeat this process with each required ingredient.
7. Use the mixer to mix the tint bases into a uniform color.
8. Check the mixture to ensure it is thoroughly blended without streaking or separation of ingredients.
- If pigment has adhered to the bottom or sides of the container, scrape with spatula and mix again.
Mixing Times
Mixer Type | Mix Time | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Overhead | 1.5 hours | Varies by amount. Start slow and ramp up as needed. | Ensure mixing blades are positioned approximately ⅓ of the container content height from the bottom of the mixing container. After mixing cycle is complete, use silicone spatula to scrape bottom and sides of mixing container to capture any unmixed pigment, then mix for an additional 5 minutes. |
Vortex | 16 minutes | - | - |
Planetary | 10 minutes | 2000 rpm | - |
9. Your custom color Part A is now ready!
- If you are ready to print, use the Carbon Resin Calculator to determine the proper ratio of Part A, Part B and/or Huntsman Jeffamine D230 that is required for your print(s).
- Your custom color Part A can be stored for several months. Be sure to use an opaque container and follow recommended storage guidelines on the protocol sheet.
In certain cases, it may be preferable to mix your custom color using tint bases. This may be useful when a color recipe has a very small amount of a certain pigment dispersion. For instance, a recipe that is 99% yellow tint base and 1% red tint base would be very challenging to mix via direct pigment dispersion dispensing as the amount of Hostatint Red A-D3GD 130 would be very small and difficult to measure: A 1000 g target weight of this custom color would only require 0.02 g of Hostatint Red A-D3GD 130!
It is possible to mix EPU 46 Clear, a color-neutral version of EPU 46 Color Base, with EPU 46 Part B to create clear parts. Pigment dispersions can be added to EPU 46 Clear to create translucent color parts.
Download the guide below for instructions on mixing clear and translucent colors with EPU 46.