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How much colorant do I need?

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"How Much Color Do I Need To Order And How Much Will It Cost?"

Calculator for Pounds

# Parts Needed Part Weight (grams) Use Rate of Concentrate (%) Scrap Rate (% if known) Pounds of Concentrate Needed $/LB (Concentrate Cost, based on pounds needed) Total Color Cost ($/LB)
Example: 50,000 25 4 30 143.17 $3.00 $429.52
Example: 2,000,000 12 2 0 1057.27 $2.00 $2,114.54
# Parts Needed Part Weight (grams) Use Rate of Concentrate (%) Scrap Rate (% if known) Pounds of Concentrate Needed $/LB (Concentrate Cost, based on pounds needed) Total Color Cost ($/LB)
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Calculator for Kilograms

# Parts Needed Part Weight (grams) Use Rate of Concentrate (%) Scrap Rate (% if known) Kilograms of Concentrate Needed $/KG (Concentrate Cost, based on pounds needed) Total Color Cost ($/KG)
Example: 50,000 25 4 30 64.94 $3.00 $194.83
Example: 2,000,000 12 2 0 479.57 $6.61 $3,169.96
# Parts Needed Part Weight (grams) Use Rate of Concentrate (%) Scrap Rate (% if known) Kilograms of Concentrate Needed $/KG (Concentrate Cost, based on pounds needed) Total Color Cost ($/KG)
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* Price per LB or KG can be entered as a costing exercise, but valid pricing can only be obtained from a formal BADGER COLOR USA Quotation.

What information is needed to start a color match?

Start your custom color match today!

As soon as we receive your target and resin in house we will submit the matches to the lab.

You can estimate how much colorant is required for your project using our colorant calculator. To calculate an estimate, you’ll need:

  • Number of parts
  • Weight per part (grams)
  • Concentrate use rate (%)
  • Scrap rate (if applicable)
  • Cost per pound or kilogram of concentrate

We offer both pounds-based and kilograms-based calculators to help estimate total colorant quantity and projected cost.

Note: Calculator results are estimates only. Pricing entered per lb or kg is for internal costing exercises. Accurate pricing and availability can only be confirmed through a formal Badger Color USA quotation.

To ensure a precise and effective color match, please provide the following details:

Information Required Why It Matters
Resin type & grade (send the resin’s Technical Data Sheet & SDS) Helps us understand processing behavior and compatibility with colorants
Color target (physical sample, Pantone, or reference) Ensures the match is based on real visual reference
Color description Ensures we’re using the same color name you use, so everyone is speaking the same language
Your part number Helps with consistency and tracking across future orders
Format (liquid or pellet concentrate) Different formats require different formulation approaches
Regulatory needs (e.g. FDA, NSF) Affects ingredient selection and compliance
UV exposure / protection duration Prevents under- or over-engineering UV protection, balancing durability and cost
UL rating (if required) Influences pigment and additive selection for safety compliance
Part application & description Helps tailor the formulation to the end-use environment
Part thickness Ensures the color is formulated to achieve the target shade and opacity at your thickness
If for medical use, applicable medical class Influences biocompatibility and material constraints
Desired concentrate use rate (LDR) Allows the color to be formulated to meet your target shade and performance at the chosen let-down ratio
Estimated annual resin usage Informs long-term planning for color supply
Molding or processing method (injection, extrusion, blow, etc.) Aligns the color package with your molding conditions for consistent appearance and performance
Temperature / heat profile Helps us choose thermally stable pigments and additives
Desired finish (matte or gloss) Ensures sample chips resemble final product aesthetic
Sample preference (color chips or available molded parts) Determines what we send for your approval
Estimated starting order quantity Helps plan inventory and manufacturing scale
Light source(s) for evaluation Ensures visual matches occur under the same lighting conditions

Providing these parameters upfront helps streamline your project and ensures better accuracy in matching and formulation.

Below are key terms frequently used in color matching and formulation:

Brightness — The perceived lightness or “lift” of a color, often associated with glow or flash in effect pigments.

Chroma / Chromaticity — The saturation or purity of a hue. High-chroma colors appear vivid; low-chroma colors appear muted.

Fluorescence — Emission of visible light when exposed to UV light, commonly used for safety or high-visibility applications.

Hue — The basic color family (red, blue, green, etc.) that serves as the foundation of a match.

Intensity — The visual strength or boldness of a color at a given loading level.

Metamerism — When two colors match under one light source but not another, making lighting conditions critical.

Opacity / Translucency — Describes how much light is blocked or transmitted through the colored material.

Saturation — How rich or clean a color appears relative to a neutral gray of the same lightness.

Specular Reflectance (Flash) — Mirror-like reflection seen in metallic or pearlescent pigments.

Aspecular (Flop) Angles — Viewing angles away from the flash that reveal color travel and body color.

Understanding these terms helps ensure clearer communication and more consistent, repeatable color results.

We offer a broad range of color and additive solutions designed to meet performance, regulatory, and aesthetic requirements:

  • Pellet / Masterbatch Color Concentrates — Solid concentrates engineered for consistent color and processing efficiency.
  • Liquid Color Solutions — Pumpable colorants for clean handling and precise dosing.
  • Additive Concentrates — UV stabilizers, antioxidants, and functional additives, standalone or combined with color.
  • Special Effect Pigments — Pearlescent, metallic, fluorescent, and custom visual effects.
  • Sustainable / Eco-Conscious Solutions — Color systems designed with circular economy and environmental considerations.

We focus on delivering solutions, not just products. Custom blends, additive packages, and specialty effects can be tailored specifically to your application.

To provide an accurate match, we need you to specify the type and grade of resin. Please send the Technical Data Sheet (TDS) for the resin via email so our team can assess its processing characteristics and compatibility with colorants.

The color target refers to the physical sample or specification you want us to match. This could be a plastic part, a Pantone reference, or another standardized color sample. Supplying this will help us achieve the closest possible match.

A clear description of the color.

Providing your customer part number helps us correctly identify and track the specific match request through our system, and maintain accuracy across multiple projects or reorders.

Please indicate whether you are requesting a liquid or pellet (masterbatch) concentrate. Each format requires a different formulation and processing approach, and this information helps to ensure we produce the correct product type.

If your application involves food contact or potable water, let us know whether the colorant must meet FDA or NSF regulatory requirements. These standards affect which ingredients are used in the formulation.

If UV stability is necessary, please specify the duration of UV protection (ex: 1 year, 5 years) and whether it is intended for indoor or outdoor use. Also include the weathering method and the criteria for failure.

If your product needs to meet UL standards, please indicate which required UL rating (ex: UL94 V-0), as this impacts the choice of raw materials and testing needed during formulation.

Understanding the end use of the part, such as a container, panel, or lid, helps us tailor the formulation so it performs and appears perfectly in the final product.

The thickness of the molded part affects how the color appears, especially in translucent or transparent materials. Accurate thickness information helps us account for any visual shifts due to wall thickness.

If the colorant is for medical use, please specify the medical class (ex: Class I, II, or III) and any required biocompatibility. This will help us to choose ingredients that meet applicable regulatory and performance standards.

Let us know the expected LDR or use rate (ex: 2%, 5%) so we can formulate the concentrate accordingly for proper dispersion and performance in your resin system.

Providing the projected annual resin usage helps us recommend the most cost-effective colorant solution and determine inventory or stocking strategies if necessary.

Identifying the molding process (injection, extrusion, blow molding, and more) permits us to fine-tune the formulation for the thermal and mechanical conditions specific to that process.

Details about the processing temperature range help us pick stable and compatible pigments and additives that perform well under your operating conditions.

Let us know your preferred finish for the initial color chips (matte or gloss), so we can produce samples that accurately reflect your end product appearance.

Please indicate if you'd like physical samples of the concentrate itself (either masterbatch or liquid) or if color chips alone are sufficient for your initial evaluation and approval.

An estimate of your initial purchase quantity helps us plan accordingly for manufacturing, pricing, and delivery timelines.

Please specify the light source(s) under which the color will be assessed, such as cool white fluorescent, daylight, or horizon lighting, to help with consistency in visual evaluation between our lab and your facility.

Glossary of Color Communication Terms

  • Aspecular (Flat/Flop) Angles  – reflectance off from the specular angle.  We use to allow a better review of the “base” or underlying color in pearlescent effect system.

  • Brightness – could be a reference like adjusting brightness on a cell phone, or meaning something like saturation, or possibly lightness/value, or flash/pearl reflection.  For us it’s probably best used for pearl effect description rather than color.

  • Chroma/Chromaticity – the intensity or saturation level of a particular hue.  A hue at its highest intensity has no other color mixed with it.

  • Fluorescence- excitement of a color under UV light.  Fluorescent dyes, fluorescent pigments, and optical brighteners act by absorbing ultraviolet radiation and re-radiating a portion of this energy as visible light. Can be an aspect of Metamerism

  • Hue – the purest form of a color, as around a color wheel.  Colors that have not been mixed with white or black.  When we say red, yellow, green, we’re talking hues. 

  • Intensity – brightness or degree of a color’s purity or saturation.  See Chromaticity

  • Metamerism – a phenomenon that occurs when two objects appear to match in color under one light source but not under another.

  • Opacity – the measure of the amount of light that can pass through a material.  The level of scattering and absorbing that occurs.

  • Saturation – attribute of color perception that expresses the degree of departure from a gray of the same lightness.  Grays have no saturation.  See Chromaticity.  Sometimes used to reference depth of color.

  • Simultaneous Contrast - refers to the way in which two different colors affect each other.  One color can change how we perceive the appearance of another when the two are placed side by side.

  • Specular Reflectance (Flash) – reflectance of a beam of light at an angle equal but opposite to the incident angle; mirror like reflectance.

  • Transparent vs Translucent – clear like glass vs cloudy/milky characteristics.

  • Value – the natural lightness or darkness in a hue, or the amount of white or black in a color.

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