How to Add Color to Resin

Steps

1. 1. Know Your Colorants

   Before mixing anything, take stock of what you have. The main options are resin pigment ink (an acrylic-base liquid that comes in vivid colors), alcohol ink (a thinner dye-based ink), and mica powder (a shimmery metallic powder).

   Tip: Each colorant behaves differently - pigment ink gives strong solid color, mica adds shimmer, alcohol ink creates translucent washes and marbled effects.

   

2. 2. Mix Resin Pigment Ink

   Split your mixed resin into small cups, one per color. Add pigment ink a tiny drop at a time - seriously, start with less than you think you need.

   Tip: The cups in this demo show blue, purple, magenta, pink, and yellow - each stirred to a uniform color before pouring.

   

3. 3. Try Acrylic Paint

   Acrylic paint is probably already in your craft stash, so it's a natural first thing to try. The downside: it doesn't fully blend into resin the way liquid pigments do.

   Tip: Don't use too much acrylic paint - excess paint can prevent the resin from curing properly, leaving it tacky.

   

4. 4. Add Mica Powder

   Mica powder (like Pearl EX) mixes into resin beautifully and gives a metallic shimmer that pigment inks can't replicate. Scoop a small amount into your resin cup and stir it in.

   Tip: Brushing mica directly into a mold before pouring highlights fine details in the mold design and gives a beautiful surface shimmer.

   

5. 5. Do a Dirty Pour

   A dirty pour is when you combine two different colored portions of resin in the same cup and pour them together into the mold without fully mixing them. With mica powder resin this looks especially good because the shimmer catches light differently in each swirl.

   Tip: Pour from a low height and move the cup slowly to control where each color flows.

   

6. 6. Use Alcohol Ink

   Alcohol ink works differently from the others. Drip it into a cup of clear resin without stirring to create a swirled petri-dish effect - the ink floats and spreads, making gorgeous abstract patterns when poured.

   Tip: Alcohol inks also tend to shift color over time when exposed to UV light, so keep finished pieces away from direct sunlight.

   

7. 7. Let Everything Cure

   Once you've poured all your molds, set them on a flat, level surface and leave them alone. Most epoxy resins need 24-48 hours to fully cure, and touching them early can leave fingerprints or disturb the surface.

   Tip: Warm rooms speed up curing slightly. Temperature around 70-75F is ideal for most epoxy resins.

   

8. 8. Demold and Compare Results

   Gently flex silicone molds to release pieces - they should pop out cleanly if the resin has fully cured. Lay them all out and compare.

   Tip: If alcohol ink pieces have faded or shifted color, that's normal - the ink is not UV-stable in resin. Pigment ink holds color much better long-term.

   

9. 9. Show Off Your Pigment Ink Results

   Resin pigment ink is the standout performer for vivid, true-to-color results. The cured gummy bears and trinkets come out glossy, saturated, and jelly-like.

   Tip: Add a thin coat of clear resin as a topcoat to give pieces extra depth and a glass-like shine.