Pigments from India are most reliably sourced in the organic family, especially copper phthalocyanine blues and greens such as pigment blue 15 and pigment green 7. A pigment manufacturer in India will usually sell several grades of each, so the order should name the exact Colour Index grade, not just the colour.
Pigments are insoluble particles that colour inks, paints, plastics and coatings. That is different from dyes, which dissolve in the medium. Dyes vs pigments explains the split.
What are pigment blue 15 and pigment green 7?
Pigment blue 15 is copper phthalocyanine blue. It is sold in several crystal forms, and the form changes shade, stability and use, so Pigment Blue 15:3 is not the same product as 15:1. Pigment green 7 is the chlorinated version and gives green. What phthalocyanine pigments are goes further. Always write the full designation in your specification, including the colon suffix.
Which other organic pigments are made in Gujarat?
Beyond phthalocyanines, Gujarat plants make azo pigments in the yellow, orange and red range and some other classes. The best-known uses are inks, paints, plastics masterbatch and coatings, covered in organic pigments for inks, paints and plastics. Performance pigments with high heat or light stability are a narrower field, so ask whether the plant has made your grade before, not whether it could.
What should you ask a pigment maker?
The questions depend on the end use, but these apply to almost every order:
- The full Colour Index name, crystal form and grade.
- Colour strength and shade against a named standard.
- Dispersion quality in your medium, tested the way you will use it.
- Heat stability if the pigment goes into plastics, shown at your processing temperature.
- Heavy metal and other restricted-substance content for your market.
- Particle size and moisture, plus the packing and shelf life.
How do you test a pigment sample?
Test in your own system. A pigment that looks right as dry powder can disperse badly in a resin or ink. See pigment dispersion quality for how dispersion is measured. For plastics buyers, run the pigment through your extruder at production temperature and check for colour shift. Repeat with a second batch to check consistency.
Who is responsible for compliance?
Pigments used in food-contact plastics, toys, cosmetics or printing inks for packaging face extra rules in many markets, and the importer or brand owner is normally responsible for showing compliance. A pigment maker can supply test data, but it cannot take on your legal duty. Tell the maker the end use and the destination market in the first message, and ask what documentation it can provide. Then confirm with your regulator, your customer or a testing laboratory which limits apply. Doing this before the trial order saves a rejected shipment later.
Next step
We find pigment manufacturers that have made your exact grade, audit the plant, check the samples and have each lot tested before it ships. Our fee is one written amount agreed in advance, and we work only for the buyer. Book a free sourcing review, or see what we source in chemicals.