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How to read a Bunnings paint label?

Hi. I have recently bought a sample paint pot, asked for the colour to be 1/4 strength, and I’m not sure if it has been tinted properly as it seems very close to the original colour when I put it on the wall. What I asked for was Taubmans Bras D’Or 1/4 strength. The label doesn’t say 1/4 anywhere, but I’m not skilled in reading paint code. I’m hoping someone can confirm for me if it really is 1/4 strength or not. Thankyou.

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Sharon1003. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about paint tinting.

I'll need to know the size of the pot of paint to answer your question. It appears there wasn't a 1/4 strength formula, so they've produced it by altering the pot size. You can see under the Base/Can section they've put the pot size as .125L or 125ml. If your pot is actually 250ml, then that would be a 1/2 strength formula, or if your pot is 500ml, that would be a 1/4 strength formula. So, if your pot is 500ml, then the formula here would be correct for a 1/4 strength Bras D'Or.

Another easy way to think about it is, say I wanted 1/4 strength Bras D'Or, and you'd like it in a four-litre can. If I were to put a one-litre formula into the four-litre can, that would give you 1/4 strength.

I'm keen to hear what the pot size was, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

All comments

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Sharon1003. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about paint tinting.

I'm keen to hear what the pot size was, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Sharon1003

Hi Mitchell

The pot was 500ml, so based on that I guess I really do have 1/4 strength!

Your explanation makes perfect sense. Thanks so much for answering helping me understand in plain English how it works.

thankyou!

sharon

MitchellMc

No issues at all, @Sharon1003! I'm happy to assist.

Regarding the colour, like you, I would expect to see a reasonable difference between the full and quarter strength. How sure are you that the original paint is full strength? Any possibility that it could have been half or quarter strength?

Mitchell

Lawzy

Hi Mitchell,

I’m curious, what do the numbers and letters represent near the bottom of the label, under Base/Can?

MitchellMc

Hi @Lawzy,

The letters indicate what tint colour (red, yellow, blue, green etc.), and the numbers are the amount of tint we need to add. Think of the Y as 60 units and the N units (the N isn't shown on this label) as the singular units. So, if the formula were EE 1Y 2.2N, it would be 60 units (a big squirt) of ocre and then 2.2 units (a tiny squirt). There are no Y shots in this formula as it's a sample pot, so it's only small N increments of tint.

If you were being more specific and wanted to know what tints D, E and L are in Taubman tints, I can find that out for you. I haven't tinted paint daily for several years now, so I don't remember the exact colours off the top of my head.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Lawzy

Thanks Mitchell, that all makes sense. I would be interested in finding out more. I figure it would be good to know if I need to mix another good match.

I assume that varying tin sizes would be a proportion of the numbers above. Therefore a 4L tin would be 4/10 of a 10L tin.

MitchellMc

That would be correct @Lawzy.

If you were ever to need a 4L tin, you'd just request Hog Bristle in 4L. The machine will work out the formulae.

Mitchell

Lawzy

Thanks Mitchell.

I ask as I once had the experience when the colours did not match. Knowing the colour codes I can at least double check.

Cheers

BadBuk

Hi Mitchell,

Stumbled across this thread and it made me wonder how to interpret the formula on some paint I purchased from Bunnings. The label reads:

Library: BRITISH_W.LIB / Match_Atlas_or_Project

Base/Can BRITISH WHITE / 1 L

EE 0Y 1.75 M 0Y 0.5

From the above discussion Y = 60 units tint, N = a single Unit tint and other letters represent the tint (EE and M). But I cannot work out how to interpret that against the formula 'EE 0Y 1.75 M 0Y 0.5'.

Could you please explain.

Paul

So,

BadBuk

Hi,

I have looked around for color codes and think that the formula represents:

1.75 units of EE - Yellow Oxide

0.5 unit of M - Black

Paul

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community Paul (@BadBuk). It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about paint tinting.

That's about correct, but I've always heard EE referred to as ochre rather than yellow oxide.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Mitchell

bhuvn

Could you please tell me how to read this paint information?

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @bhuvn. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about reading a paint label.

What type of information were you hoping to learn from the label?

The colour is Basalt, likely in the Colorbond range. It's from the Taubmans colour library. The product is an exterior All-Weather paint. It is low-sheen with an accent 15L base can. Three tints, B, C, and F, are used to make up the colour. These letters represent specific colours that get added to the can, and the numbers that follow them indicate the increments added.

If you have any specific questions I'd be more than happy to answer them for you.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Jmarq

Hi Mitchell,

Been reading through the comments and still haven't been able to determine the colour I have .

Please see colour code below:

B 0Y 2N 0.25

C 0Y 6N

L 0Y 0N 0.25

I don't have a photo of the label as someone on site had a handheld device to scan the surface and came out with this colour code.

Can you please advise the name of the colour so I can source it?

I believe it is a form of white shade from a Taubmans product.

Thanks!

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Jmarq. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about paint colours.

If a team member did a colour match on a sample, then there is no name for the colour. The sample might have been of a named colour, but the spectro reader won't pick that up; it just gives you a formulation to match the colour.

In order to recreate that colour, you could do another colour match using another sample or a match from some of that paint if you have any left. Unfortunately, you have the colour code, but we also need to know what brand the colour match was created in, what size tin it was, and what base colour it was mixed from. Without those details, the colour code you have there isn't enough for us to recreate the colour.

I'm keen to assist you further. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

stu0727

These paint tins / labels are for the same paint but I was wondering what the “N” meant next to the colour codes?

One has this, one does not.

JacobZ

Hi @stu0727,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

My colleague @MitchellMc has answered your question in How to read a Bunnings paint label?

The letters indicate what tint colour (red, yellow, blue, green etc.), and the numbers are the amount of tint we need to add. Think of the Y as 60 units and the N units (the N isn't shown on this label) as the singular units. So, if the formula were EE 1Y 2.2N, it would be 60 units (a big squirt) of ocre and then 2.2 units (a tiny squirt). There are no Y shots in this formula as it's a sample pot, so it's only small N increments of tint.

The newer paint appears to have just left the N out, but if you ignore this fact, you can see the mix is the same otherwise.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

ashparkes06

I recently bought this 15L of Winter Fog from Bunnings and it is meant to be 1/4 strength but we had a light coat of it on one of our walls to decide what colour and this one is completely different to our tester pot. The first pic is the sticker on the 15Ls you can see the colour difference in the 3rd pic. Just wondering what has happened

JacobZ

Hi @ashparkes06,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

My colleague @MitchellMc has explained how to read paint labels in the discussion How to read a Bunnings paint label?

Using the information Mitchell has provided, it does appear that the ratio of tints, particularly those labelled EE and M, are out slightly.

I'd like to confirm with Mitchell when he is back online tomorrow before offering guidance moving forward.

Please bear with me.

Jacob

MitchellMc

Hi @ashparkes06,

Many thanks for your patience.

I can't see any indication on that label that it is quarter-strength. It appears to be full-strength Winter Fog. I recommend you take the paint back to the store of purchase with your proof of purchase and let them know. If you asked for quarter-strength and they've mistakenly mixed up full-strength, I trust they'll be more than happy to correct the issue.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

JamesM

I had a sample pot of paint done which was colour matched to an existing colour I have on the walls.

It turned out perfect!

So I just got a 4L tin done but when I opened it up at home it is a completely different color.

Here is the formula for 250ml original sample pot (lovely green yellow)

C OY 1.5

M OY 0.25

L OY 4.75

And the 4L can, which is very different (turned out somewhat apricot)

C OY 24.00
M OY 4.00
L 1Y 4.00

I don't understand how formulas work but could someone check if this is correct for the 4L?

Thanks

EricL

Hello @JamesM

Thank you for sharing your question about your paint sample pot. I suggest getting a piece of timber and painting the sample pot on one side and painting the other with the 4L can. Before you paint with the larger tin, I suggest stirring it very well for at least five minutes with a Monarch Timber Paint Stirrer 1-4L or similar. It's possible that the paint specialist did not put it in the shaker and the tint did not mix properly.

After mixing the can for five minutes, paint the timber piece with the large tin and wait for it to dry. When both paint samples dry off, they should be the same colour. If you get a different shade altogether, I suggest bringing the sample pot, the 4L can of paint and your timber sample piece to the store where you purchased the paint and have the paint specialist mix another batch for you. Make sure to show them the colour sample you painted so that they can see that the paint finish is different.

In regards to the formula, I can see that they used the same tints, but I am unsure about the quantity used as this is usually calculated by the paint computer.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

goinggreen

Hi,

We had a sample pot of “spinach green” dulux and loved it. We then bought a full pot, have painted the area and realised it looks different. Are these the same… could someone help explain the labels? Thanks!

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @goinggreen. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about paint mixing.

Yes – based on the labels, they are the same colour and the formulas match. The difference you’re seeing isn’t because of a change in colour mix. Your 4L can simply contains around 16 times the pigment of the 0.25L sample pot, which is expected when scaling up the formula. From your photos, the painted section appears to match correctly. The slight variation you’re noticing is most likely due to the difference in sheen – your 4L tin is Dulux Wash & Wear Low Sheen, while the sample pot is designed purely for testing and doesn’t have the exact same finish. This can make the light reflect differently, especially when the paint is fresh, but the underlying colour is the same.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

luke1555

Hi, I need help understanding why my 500ml sample pot is a different colour to the 10L supplied when painted on the wall.

If I am correct, should the 10L tint be 20x what the 500ml is?

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @luke1555. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about paint tints.

Twenty times would be correct, though this is a Dulux colour into British Paints so formulations can differ due to the bases. I can see that it is the same Dulux colour that has been mixed up, and they have the proper colour selected on both cans. Dulux colours mixed up in British Paints shouldn't normally be an issue, but it is drawing from the British Library, which is a conversion formula. This is similar to mixing a Dulux colour with Taubmans paint; there's a chance of a slight difference. Given that Dulux and British are closely related, I'm surprised that the colour didn't translate directly and give you an exact match.

How different are the colours? My recommendation would be to return to the store and speak with a helpful Paint Expert. I trust they will help resolve the issue.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

luke1555

Hi Michael, thanks for your prompt reply. The colours are quite different.

Both the sample and 10L are a British paints base so I would have thought they should match. However the sample does say Dulux vivid white base. Maybe that is the cause. I will go back to the store to try and rectify.

Thanks for your input.

Thanks

MitchellMc

Hi again @luke1555. Glad to hear the team managed to resolve that for you. I was trying to get through to them on the phone ahead of you, but it looks like you're all sorted.

Mitchell

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