How to colour craft resin
Craft Resin cures clear, so any colour in a finished piece comes from what you add before pouring. This guide covers the main ways to colour your resin, how each one behaves, and what to keep in mind so the mix still cures properly.
Colourant options
| Colourant | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mica powder | Opaque to translucent, with shimmer or metallic finishes | Cosmetic-grade fine powder. Stir into the mixed resin and hardener, or dust it into the mould for a marbled look. |
| Alcohol ink | Vibrant, semi-transparent colour; good for blending and cell effects | Flammable. Never use a heat gun or torch near resin containing alcohol ink — use gentle warming or a cover instead to clear surface bubbles. |
| Liquid pigment / pigment paste | Solid, even, opaque colour | No shimmer or glitter — best when you want flat, consistent coverage. |
| Acrylic paint | Adds colour but dulls the finish | Can reduce clarity and gloss compared with resin-specific colourants. Test a small batch first if the final look matters. |
| Oil paint | Not compatible | Oil paints don't mix cleanly into resin and can leave the surface tacky or uneven. If you're covering an oil painting, seal it with a barrier coat (such as Mod Podge) and let that dry fully before pouring resin over the top — don't mix oil paint into the resin itself. |
How to add colourant
Mix your resin and hardener first, to the correct ratio for the product you're using (1:1 by volume for Arts & Crafts and Table Top, 2:1 for Deep Pour). Only once the two parts are fully combined should you add colourant — mixing colour into an unmixed or partially mixed batch makes it hard to tell if the resin and hardener themselves are properly combined.
Add colourant gradually, in small amounts, stirring thoroughly after each addition. A little goes a long way, especially with mica powder and alcohol ink — you can always add more, but you can't take it back out. Adding too much of any colourant can leave the resin soft, cloudy, or slow to cure, so if you're using an unfamiliar colourant or a new supplier's product, cure a small test batch first and check it hardens normally before committing to a full pour.
Why timing matters
Adding colourant doesn't change your working time on its own, but stirring it in takes time away from the working time you already have — and larger batches cure faster than small ones, so working time is shorter, not longer, in bigger mixes. Plan your colour mixing so you're pouring well within the working time for the product and batch size you're using.
Step-by-step
- Mix resin and hardener to the correct ratio for your product, by volume, until the mix is fully clear and streak-free.
- Choose your colourant — mica powder, alcohol ink, or liquid pigment/pigment paste, depending on the effect you want.
- Add a small amount of colourant and stir thoroughly, scraping the sides and bottom of the container.
- Build up colour gradually, checking opacity and shade as you go, rather than adding a large amount at once.
- Pour promptly, within the working time for your product, and let the piece cure undisturbed for the recommended hard cure time.
A note on cure and finish
Colourant sits within the resin, not on top of it — it doesn't affect the heat resistance or cure time of the base product once it's within a normal, moderate amount. If a coloured piece stays soft, tacky, or unusually slow to cure compared with a clear test batch, the most likely cause is too much colourant or an inaccurate resin-to-hardener ratio, rather than the colour itself.
We do not currently make a food-contact claim for Craft Resin, coloured or clear.
Related articles
- Colour Mixing Guide — Pigments, Mica Powder, and Ratios
- Mixing Ratio — How to Measure Resin and Hardener Correctly
- Is craft resin heat resistant?
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