What ratio do I use for mixing custom paint colors?
Working paint ratios are almost never 50/50, because pigments differ in tinting strength by up to 20×. A clean starting ratio is 4:1 base to modifier, then nudge in 10% steps. For tints, expect 80–90% white to 10–20% color. Chromilla returns the calibrated ratio per pigment.
Sample mixing ratios
- Tint (pastel)
- Titanium White 85% + base color 15%
- Shade (deeper)
- Base color 90% + complement 8% + black 2%
- Tone (greyed)
- Base color 70% + complement 20% + white 10%
- Green from yellow + blue
- Cadmium Yellow 80% + Phthalo Blue 20% (phthalo is very strong)
Ratios are calibrated as a starting point. Pigment tinting strength varies by brand — use Chromilla's color mixing calculator to recalibrate for your specific tubes.
Get a calibrated ratio for your color
Chromilla calculates ratios that already account for each pigment's tinting strength.
Open Chromilla →Frequently asked questions
- Why isn't 50/50 the right ratio?
- Tinting strength varies wildly. Phthalo Blue, Quinacridone Magenta and Titanium White overpower earth pigments by 5–20×. A 50/50 mix of Phthalo Blue and Yellow Ochre is almost pure blue, not green.
- How do I scale a recipe up to a liter or gallon?
- Ratios stay the same — multiply every part by the same factor. For 1 liter of a 70/20/10 mix, that's 700 ml base + 200 ml modifier + 100 ml white. Mix in batches and reserve a sample swatch for color-matching the next batch.