Replies

1. 
   DANL | Sep 05, 2004 03:32am | #1

   I've heard of a lot of good painters doing it, so I doubt it. Just tinting shouldn't have a big effect on the way the primer works, I wouldn't think. I'm sure there are more expert painters who will reply soon. You could also ask at the paint store.

2. 
   seeyou | Sep 05, 2004 04:48am | #2

   Normally they tint 50% of the finish color. Easier to cover on a drastic color change or easier to cover with a dark color than white primer on new work.

3. 
   WayneL5 | Sep 05, 2004 05:34am | #3

   You're fine so long as you comply with the tinting restrictions, if any, on the instructions.

   It can lead to some good humor, though.  A few years ago I built a house on a busy road in a small town.  Since not much happens there, I was known as the guy building "the house".  Everyone knew of "the house".

   The colors of the house were to be olive green for the siding, dark purple (eggplant) for the trim, and peanut brittle for the soffits.  The painters tinted the white primer and primed the whole house in one day.  I came home from work and the house was a really ugly pastel green, with lavender trim and pink soffits!  It was ghastly!  The painters told me all day long people walking by would laugh out loud, and people driving by would slow down and laugh out the windows.  Even while I was talking to the painters, half a dozen people who went by laughed so loud I could hear them from inside the house.  That night in the grocery store people I didn't even know asked my what I was thinking.

   The next day was only a little better because the paint store mixed up the finish coats using the quart formula in gallon cans, so the trim became red -- it looked like the Christmas house.  When the final colors went on correctly it looked so much better!

   Here's the final look, though the colors in the photograph are not real true. http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=35327.1

4. 
   wrick2003 | Sep 05, 2004 06:33am | #4

        We always use a tinted primer for any color we use that is darker than what we call a "medium" tone.

        Dark red is the worst. Often different brands of paint have their different quantities of opacifiers in them. If you know the paint you are going to use, you will know how dark your primer needs to be.

        Good Luck,    rg 

5. 
   bill_1010 | Sep 05, 2004 06:52am | #5

   No, primers are intended to bond to the substrate and provide a base for the paint to bond.   UNless you change the composition of the primer you do not defeat it.  

6. 
   hammer1 | Sep 05, 2004 07:16am | #6

   No it does not defeat the purpose of the primer. We almost always tint the primer these days since paints are not covering as well as they once did. It seems to take three coats with the acrylics to get a really nice job. There is a limit to how much pigment you can add. You can't get dark colors but it helps a lot on the light ones

7. 
   DanT | Sep 05, 2004 11:21am | #7

   I agree with all above.  We use tinted primer on any color change that is a definate color.  On lighter colors it avoids any issue with bleed through.  DanT

1. 
   mikerooney | Sep 05, 2004 02:17pm | #8

   Sez right on the can: "Do not tint."

   But we all know painters can't read.

   If you are goin' for a dark shade, use a black base coat. 

1. 
   PhillGiles | Sep 05, 2004 08:58pm | #11

   From Behr #75 enamel primer:

   "Bright or deep colours require a tinted primer. Have primer tinted close to topcoat colour with no more than 118 mL of colourant per 3,79 L.".

   Phill Giles

   The Unionville Woodwright

   Unionville, Ontario

8. 
   BarryE | Sep 05, 2004 04:27pm | #9

   "Is tinting primer with paint or a tinting base defeating the purpose of the primer?"

   Mixing topcoat or tinting base with the primer is not a good idea and may defeat the purpose.

    

   Tinting the primer with colorants is acceptable.

    

   For the reading impaired, this is from the back of Preprite primer from SW:

   "Tinting - For better hiding of deeper colors, use up to 2 oz per gallon of Blend-AColor Toner to approximate the topcoat color"

   ---

   Barry E-Remodeler

    

   
   

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   Edited 9/5/2004 9:30 am ET by Barry E

1. 
   emaxxman | Sep 05, 2004 10:36pm | #12

   I recently painted my front door with exterior Superpaint (a deep red).  I used SW's oil based exterior grade primer.  I had the guy tint it for me.  According to SW, their primer tinting system tints the primer different shades of gray.  The shade of gray is based on the topcoat color.

   I thought it was strange but hey, what the heck.  SW should know what they are doing.  I went with the flow.  The end result was a deep red topcoat that coated evenly on the first coat and had not signs of the primer underneath.  2 topcoats yielded a nice even deep red...something I can say wouldn't have happened with a white primer. 

   One CAVEAT:  the deep red is a slight shade brighter than the paint sample you get at the store.  I'm not sure if it's due to the sheen difference, lighting, or maybe the primer should've been slightly darker.  Not a big deal.  We like the red nevertheless.

9. 
   davidmeiland | Sep 05, 2004 05:15pm | #10

   I have the folks at the paint counter do it. They look in the Benjamin Moore chart and tint the primer according to the finish color, using the same tint dispenser as for paint. I would not tint primer with paint... chemically they are different beasts.