colorant
Tint-producing substance
A colorant is any substance used to impart color to something else—dyes, pigments, inks, and stains all qualify.
The term appears most often in technical and industrial contexts: food colorants, hair colorants, textile colorants.
Unlike dye or pigment, which specify how the coloring works, colorant is neutral about method and simply means thing that adds color.
Woven or knit material
- textilesWoven or knit materials
- indigoPlant-derived blue dye
- tie-dyeBound-fabric coloring technique
- batikWax-resist fabric coloring
colorfast · vat · reactive · fiber · mordant · aniline · synthetic · disperse
Darkness from blocked light
gradation · tinge · nuance · colorwash · lighten · pale · faded · muted
Plant-derived food colorant
- turmericYellow rhizome spice
- paprikaGround dried pepper
- saffronCrocus-derived golden spice
- beetDark red root vegetable
spirulina · caramel · carmine · chlorophyll · tartrazine · natural · artificial · additive
Synthetic resin or fiber
- watercolorTranslucent paint medium
- gouacheOpaque water-based medium
- temperaEgg-yolk painting method
- encausticHeat-fixed wax medium
fresco · glaze · impasto · palette · cadmium · ochre · ultramarine · sienna
Underlying support structure
- lipstickCosmetic for coloring lips
- eyeshadowTinted lid cosmetic
- blushFacial reddening from emotion
- mascaraLash-darkening cosmetic
nail polish · mica · iron oxide · carmine · titanium dioxide · lake · talc · shimmer
fabric
Woven or knit material
batik · colorfast · vat · reactive · fiber · mordant · aniline · synthetic · disperse · acid
shade
Darkness from blocked light
pastel · gradation · tinge · nuance · colorwash · lighten · pale · faded · muted · soften
annatto
Plant-derived food colorant
beet · spirulina · caramel · carmine · chlorophyll · tartrazine · natural · artificial · additive · approved
acrylic
Synthetic resin or fiber
- watercolorTranslucent paint medium
- gouacheOpaque water-based medium
- temperaEgg-yolk painting method
encaustic · fresco · glaze · impasto · palette · cadmium · ochre · ultramarine · sienna · umber
foundation
Underlying support structure
mascara · nail polish · mica · iron oxide · carmine · titanium dioxide · lake · talc · shimmer · matte
- coloringdye, hair dye, tinge, fabric dye, fill in
- painting suppliesbrushes, paint, paint tubes, paintbrush, brush
- additivesstabilizer, MSG, emulsifier, plasticizers, flavor enhancer
- candlemakingcandle wax, beeswax, soy wax, paraffin wax, wick
- dyesdye, madder, synthetic dye, woad, natural dyes
- ceramic materialsfeldspar, silica, kaolin, china clay, fire clay
colorantbleach
Chemical stain and germ killer
whitener · decolorant · bleaching agent · color remover · decolorizer
- protective colorationConcealing pigmentation for survival
- warning colorationConspicuous hues signaling unpalatability