Paint Mixing Calculator

Paint Mixing Calculator

This paint mixing calculator helps paint shops, painters, contractors, interior designers, and homeowners work out the exact quantity of base paint and each tint color needed, based on a mixing formula you define as percentages.

How to Calculate Paint Mixing Ratios

Each tint's quantity is calculated as: component quantity = total required quantity × percentage / 100. For example, if the total paint is 20 L and the blue tint is 5%, then 20 × 5 / 100 = 1 L of blue tint is needed.

How to Use the Paint Mixing Calculator

1. Enter the total paint quantity you need and choose Litres, Millilitres, or Gallons.
2. Select or name your base paint.
3. Add each tint/color with its percentage of the total formula — the percentages must add up to exactly 100%.
4. Click "Calculate Mix" to see exactly how much of each color to use, and optionally enable cost calculation.

Paint Mixing Formula Example

For 20 litres of paint mixed as White 90%, Blue 5%, Black 5%: White = 18 L, Blue = 1 L, Black = 1 L, for a total of 20 L.

Important Note About Actual Paint Colors

The digital color preview is only an approximate RGB/HEX blend calculated from the colors and percentages you enter — it is not a substitute for an actual physical paint formula. Real paint colors depend on the paint brand, base paint, pigments used, and the tinting machine/system, and mix subtractively rather than as a simple weighted average of light. Always confirm the exact mixing formula with your paint manufacturer or tinting system before mixing physical paint.

Converting a Mixing Ratio Into Percentages

Two-pack products such as epoxy and PU coatings usually state their mix as a ratio by volume, for example 4:1 base to hardener. The calculator needs percentages, so divide each part by the total number of parts and multiply by 100. For 4:1 there are 5 parts in all: base = 4 ÷ 5 × 100 = 80% and hardener = 1 ÷ 5 × 100 = 20%. For 5 litres of mixed material that is 4 L of base and 1 L of hardener.

Watch for how thinning instructions are written. "Thin by 10%" on a data sheet normally means 10% of the paint volume, that is 100 ml of thinner per litre of paint. In the finished mix that thinner is 100 ÷ 1,100 = 9.09% of the total, so enter 90.91% paint and 9.09% thinner, or simply add 10% thinner on top of the paint quantity you measured.

Worked Example With Cost

Using the Cream preset for 10 litres gives White 9.4 L, Yellow 0.4 L, Red 0.1 L and Black 0.1 L. With cost calculation turned on, suppose the white base costs ₹300 per litre and the tints cost ₹800, ₹900 and ₹700 per litre. The cost is 9.4 × 300 + 0.4 × 800 + 0.1 × 900 + 0.1 × 700 = ₹2,820 + ₹320 + ₹90 + ₹70 = ₹3,300, or ₹330 per litre of finished paint. These prices are only for illustration.

The base paint price is applied to the row whose name matches the selected base paint (here, "White"). Any other row left without a price is counted as ₹0, so fill in every row if you want a true cost per litre.

Mixing Tips From the Workshop

• Measure small tint quantities in millilitres. Switching the unit to mL shows 0.1 L as 100 ml, which is easier to measure with a syringe or graduated cup.
• Mix a small test batch first, for example 250 ml with the same percentages, and paint a sample patch. Let it dry fully before judging the colour, because most emulsions dry slightly darker or lighter than they look wet.
• Add strong colours such as black and red gradually. A fraction of a percent can shift the shade noticeably, so it is easier to add more than to correct an overdose.
• Mix enough for the whole wall or room in one batch. If you have to mix a second batch, use the saved formula and box (combine) the batches before applying, so the shade stays even across the surface.
• Light, medium and deep bases from a brand's tinting system contain different amounts of white pigment, so the same colorant percentage looks very different in each. Use the base your formula was written for.

Frequently Asked Questions