Color Mixing Tools

Color Mixing Tools includes 3 tools:
  1. Color2Drop (a program to convert RGB, Lab or Munsell HVC color coordinates into paint mixing recipes)
  2. Drop2Color (a program to visualize the color of mixed paint recipes)
  3. RS2Color (a program to visualize the color of reflectance spectra)

Current version is: 3.23.53 (2018 January)

If you would like to use my Color Mixing Tools and download the system, please send me an e-mail message, so I can send you the access info. You'll need two files: MCRInstaller.exe and ColorMixingTools.zip. You should download them together, because the version numbers must match. Please note that you are authorized to use the system only according to the Disclaimer below and you are not allowed to put the MATLAB libraries on the internet for any reason. However, please feel free to give the two files to your colleagues or friends, but only for educational purposes.

The current version of the Color Mixing Tools includes more than 25,000 lines of code I've been writing since 2004. It includes 23 paint sets: measured data of 22 paint lines of various brands + 1 ideal set:

The system includes also 53 reflectance spectrum databases:
  1. Acqua by Maimeri - measurements done on masstone
  2. Acrylic Studio Colours by Vallejo easurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  3. Aeroflash by Holbein - measurements done on hand made samples by Holbein, but the paint is not completely opaque (for this reason, the Munsell values calculated by rs2color do not always correspond to the ones reported on the paint labels, even if the error is limited)
  4. Amsterdam Oils by Talens - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  5. Artisan by Winsor&Newton - measurements done on masstone
  6. Artists' Oils by Winsor&Newton - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  7. Atelier Interactive by Chroma - measurements done on masstone
  8. Bizancio Oils by Titan  - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  9. Brera by Maimeri - measurements done on masstone
  10. Conservation Colors by Gamblin - measurements done on masstone by Marissa Haddock
  11. Designers Gouache colours by Winsor&Newton measurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  12. Duo Acqua Oil (set of 18) by Holbein - measurements done on masstone
  13. Ecoline by Talens - measurements done on semi-transparent samples
  14. EFX500 by E'Tac - 25 spectra calculated at maximum saturation when the paint is used transparently
  15. EFX500 (buffered) by E'Tac - 25 spectra calculated at maximum saturation when paint is mixed with white #502
  16. Ferrario 1919 Oils by Ferrario - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy) in 2017
  17. Finity (Acrylic Basic Set) by Winsor&Newton - measurements done on masstone
  18. Galeria by Winsor&Newton  measurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  19. Georgian Oils by Daler-Rowney - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  20. Heavy Body Acrylic Colors by Golden - measurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  21. Heavy Body Artist Colors by Liquitex - 19 spectra calculated at maximum saturation when paint is mixed with white #432
  22. J.H. Sanden Pro Mix Colors - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  23. Landscape Paints by Bob Ross - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  24. Open Acrylics by Golden - measurements done on masstone
  25. Maimeri Classico Oils by Maimeri - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  26. Maimeri Puro Oils by Maimeri - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  27. Mussini Resin-Oil Colours by Schmincke - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  28. Norma Professional Oils by Schmincke - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  29. Pen Color by Ferrario - measurements done on masstone
  30. Polycolor (primaries) by Maimeri - measurements done on masstone in 2007
  31. Polycolor by Maimeri - measurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark) in 2017
  32. Primacryl by Schmincke - measurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  33. Professional Artists’ Acrylic Colors by Winsor&Newton - measurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  34. Rembrandt Extra-Fine Artists’ Oil Colors by Talens  - measurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  35. System 3 Original Acrylic Colors by Daler-Rowney - measurements done on masstone by Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  36. Titan Extra Fine Oils by Titan - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  37. Van Gogh H2Oil (set of 10) by Talens - measurements done on masstone
  38. Van Gogh Oil by Talens - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  39. Varnish restoration colors by Divolo - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  40. Winton Oils by Winsor&Newton - measurements done on masstone by Angelo Paladini (Rome, Italy)
  41. box shapes - ideal/artificial spectra
  42. mini ColorChecker of Gretag MacBeth (now Xrite)
  43. Kremer historical pigment database - measurements done by Anna M. Gueli (PH3DRA Laboratory, University of Catania, Italy)
  44. “Modern Water Color Pigments” by J. Scott Taylor M. A.  – measurements done by Dario Benedetti, Michela Pasquali, Nicola Rodella (Archaeometry Research Centre, University of Brescia, Italy)
  45. Munsell Glossy 5B - spectra of all chips of this sector in the "Munsell Book of Color, Glossy Edition" (There is a slight color shift of the blues due to a calibration problem of my spectrophotometer)
  46. Munsell Glossy 5G - spectra of all chips of this sector in the "Munsell Book of Color, Glossy Edition"
  47. Munsell Glossy 5P - spectra of all chips of this sector in the "Munsell Book of Color, Glossy Edition"
  48. Munsell Glossy 5R - spectra of all chips of this sector in the "Munsell Book of Color, Glossy Edition"
  49. Munsell Glossy 5Y - spectra of all chips of this sector in the "Munsell Book of Color, Glossy Edition"
  50. Munsell Glossy Neutrals - 9 spectra (N9-N1) at 0 chroma of the "Munsell Book of Color, Glossy Edition"
  51. pigments: measurements done on masstone by mixing pigments with acrylic medium and measurements done on samples using mixed paint with 50% titanium white are also included. Commercial paint data is also included.
  52. supports/grounds- measurements done on card/paper and canvas
  53. whites: measurements done on masstone of various commercially sold whites

Disclaimer:

This software is provided free of charge for educational purpuses ONLY. Selling or renting it is prohibited.

The MathWorks, Inc. Matlab "Software License Agreement", "Academic Installation and Use Addendum" and "Deployment Addendum" apply to the use of this software.
This software is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. Under no circumstances and under no legal theory, whether in tort, contract, or otherwise, shall the Author or the University of Brescia be liable to you or to any other person for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any character including, without limitation, damages for loss of goodwill, work stoppage, computer failure or malfunction, or for any and all other damages or losses.

If you do not agree with these terms, then you are advised NOT to USE the software.

Any mention of commercial paints in this system is for information only: it does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the Author.

This system is based on MATLAB(R). (c) 1984 - 2017 The MathWorks, Inc.

Acknowledgments:

I'd like to thank:

·       Michael Petty (Canyon Lake, CA, U.S.A.) for creating the ramps with Liquitex Heavy Body Artist Colors.

·       Christian Skeel (Copenhagen, Denmark) for the ramps and measurements of: Golden Heavy Body Acrylic Colors, Talens Rembrandt Extra-Fine Artists’ Oil Colors, Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Colors, Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache colors, Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, Vallejo Acrylic Studio Colours, Winsor & Newton Artisan Colors, Daler-Rowney System 3 Original Acrylic Colors, Maimeri Polycolors, Schmincke Primacryl Colors and Professional Acrylic Colours by Winsor & Newton.

·       Angelo Paladini (Tarquinia, Italy; email: palladany@hotmail.com) for several reflectance spectrum databases and the ramps and measurements of: Schmincke Norma Professional, Talens Van Gogh colors, Daler-Rowney Georgian Oil Colours  and Ferrario 1919 Oil Colors.

·       Marissa Haddock for the parameters of Gamblin Conservation Colors.

·       Yoshio Okumura for the ramps and measurements of Golden Matte Fluid Acrylic Colors.

·       Anna M. Gueli (PH3DRA Laboratory, University of Catania, Italy) for the spectra of the Kremer historical pigment database.

·       Dario Benedetti, Michela Pasquali, Nicola Rodella (Archaeometry Research Centre, University of Brescia, Italy) for the measurements of the “Modern Water Color Pigments” by J. Scott Taylor M. A.

·       Paul Centore (centore@99main.com) for his Open Source “Munsell Conversions” code

A warm thank you to my good friend Erika Bakos for translating these pages!

Web and Mobile versions:
The online version of color2drop, called PaintMaker, on the site Sensual logic was created by Christian Skeel. This version uses the current version of color2drop and has also a color picker.

The mobile version is for iOS, both for iPhone and iPad using iOS 9.0 or later, and has a limited number of paint bases included. It is called Real Paint mixing tools (RealPaint) and was created by AI4res. This version has a much more precise Munsell coordinate converter (for example close to the gray axis) compared to CMT and also coordinates of many more color spaces. It can load images, has a color picker to select the colors and has an auto-desaturation function to fit the whole image into the color gamut of the selected Paint Set. RealPaint can be set to mix colors using various Mixing Strategies, like "no Black used", "Black and White + 2 colors" and so on.