Color consistancy - any formulas

[Ingrid]

New to candlemaking have little trouble with scents and wax but am having trouble being consistant with color. Any one have a formula for using color blocks? Anyone use liquid color?????

[crafty in SC]

I started off using the color blocks, but I have to tell you once you try the liquid dye you will be hooked for life. It is so much easier to get consistent colors. Not to mention you won't have the little flecks of color the color blocks can leave in your candles.

[Linnyeg]

I LOVE liquid dyes! Easy and Consistent!

[SatinDucky]

I don't use blocks, but do mix some of my own colors and make chips with it. I use about 2oz wax and add enough dye to get the color I want but greatly increased. Then pour it in little mint patty candy molds (some use jelly bean molds). With blocks you could do similar. Melt a block in a couple oz plain paraffin wax, but record what size block and how much wax. Then pour it in a small easy to use shape mold. Each piece should give you the same results, or at least very close. And now that I've thoroughly confused you, let me say, I do prefer liquid

[cas]

Liquid colour is the best. It mixes better and you will get more consistent colour.

[Molly]

Just to add another alternative, I use powdered dyes which are much easier to measure if you find a set of measuring spoons that go down to 1/32 tsp.

Liquid is also easier than the chips, but personally I find powdered dye easier than both. Just a person preference!

[Cari]

I really like the diamond chips. Especially with the red. I use 1 chip/# with IGI 4786, 4796, 6006, and J223. With the mottling waxes I have been using 1/2 chip/#. I do like dyes too. No matter what you use the most important thing is to write down how many drops/# of wax or what ever it is you are using. When I use blocks I use a veggie peeler to shave it, this color takes this many shaves and so on. You will find a comfortable depth (so to speak) to put the peeler and each time will just do it the same way. I haven't ever used over 6 shaves or 6 drops / # though. Good Luck

Cari

[7Angela7]

I use the chips, and am trying the liquid right now. To me, it's a little hard with liquid because I can't get the same size little drop each time. I really like the chips & think I might stick with them - I just melt them in my pour pot before I pour the wax in. The reds and some blue/greens leave the little flakes that won't melt, so I'll use the liquid with that.

[topofmurrayhill]

Interesting responses. I've been interested in the liquid dyes, but never switched to them because they're too concentrated to measure. If I scale a batch up or down, there's no accurate way to adjust the color to match. With color blocks I can even design a candle by making 1 at a time and just measure everything, including color, with a gram scale.

[Scented]

See I use the chips, blocks and liquids lol! I can get better colors with one kind as opposed to another.

[Tess]

I absolutely HATE liquid. They are messy. Not only is it too easy to add to much color, but the color always seeps through the drop squeezie and ends up all over my hands, clothes and everything else.

I have LOVE blocks. They give good color and are priced well. The only down point is that they are tough to measure for consistency in small batches. What I do is melt the blocks down and add a bit off votive wax to it, then make little "beans" so that I can measure more accurately.

Chips are too expensive for me and it takes ALOT to get a good medium shade.

I have not used powders or pigments so I cannot help ya there. HTH--Tess

[Trish]

I love chips for the consistency, but they do cost a lot more.

I love using the liquid in my pillars because I can use the same tone (lighter and darker) for layers. However, it seems like Tess, I make a mess with these!

The best thing is to try some for yourself and see what you like!

[Ingrid]

Thanks to everyone you replied to my question on color control. This was my first time on the message board. It is great to have access to all the information on candles. Ingrid

[AngelaVA]

I love the liquid dyes, but I only use them with an eye dropper. The squirt tube style bottle was way too messy and I got inconsistent amounts of dye. With the eye dropper type of bottle, I just count how many drops I use and then scale that up or down depending on how many pounds of wax I am working with. I get consistent colors and the liquids are easy to mix in.

[tackwill]

I love the diamond chips. Just have to remember to keep good records of what you use.

[mysticglow]

I use both liquid dye and color chips. I really prefer liquid but there are a few colors that I just can't get so I use the chips for those. I do prefer the liquid with an eye dropper top though. Much easier to control the drops.

[pamperme]

I only us liquids with dropper bottles..not as messy..I like the fact I can get more consistant colors with each..or even split and do 1/2# batches if I need to. If they dont come in a dropper one..I put them in it...that way I am only messy once.

[Glowlite]

I used to only use liquid dyes. Now I buy pylam dyes they are powedered and they work so much better.

[Henryk]

Now that I'm doing darker colors (thinking about Fall), I'm seeing that the solvents in the two types of liquids I have are really having a (bad) effect on soy if you want to get a very dark shade (if you ever use soy). Last year's holidays I used flakes and crystals, but had to be sure that they were dissolved fully. I just started using the chips because you can get many pre-blended hues. I'm not big on blending dyes because I don't make enough candles to warrant taking notes on drops per pound, but when I want a sage color - that’s what I want. I thought I would have trouble getting them to blend in soy container waxes, but so far no problems - they must be made out of low melt-point waxes as compared to the crystals/flakes.

I still have the liquids - some of them in the blends I want, like cranberry, hunter green, etc. I am going to use them because I assume they will have less of an adverse affect on paraffin as opposed to in soy. True ? Anyone have any bad effects on paraffins using a TON of liquid dye in them?

For anyone who has found the liquids messy (I find that somehow they seem to leach out of the bottles at the caps), I find that putting on regular caps and use these http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/ProductDetail.aspx?Tab=0&CatalogID=0&CatalogTitle=0&ProductID=1144 stops a lot of that. I hate to be wasteful with the plastic droppers, but I don't use them a lot (at least thats how I'm rationalizing it - plus I try to reuse them if possible).

[hawaiiansun]

I started off using the color blocks, but I have to tell you once you try the liquid dye you will be hooked for life. It is so much easier to get consistent colors. Not to mention you won't have the little flecks of color the color blocks can leave in your candles.

ditto this liquid dye is the way to go except when you spill it

[Kaybee23]

I get pretty consistent results with my liquid dyes and would probably use nothing else. I think it really is a matter of personal preference IMO. I have used the liquid dye long enough that I know what to mix to get each of my colors and they are pretty consistent each time.

[tlc26]

I mostly use the color blocks. I was having trouble with the reds not mixing. I was getting the little flecks at the top of the candle. I got some red liquid to try out. I love the color and that I can get pink from it. I am still having trouble getting the pink I want. I just recently purchased some blue and green liquid to try. I think it is best to try some of each and then decide what works best for you. I don't worry as much as others about color matching, because I don't mass produce like some do.