About the data

Every serious oil paint lists its pigments by Colour Index code. The letters give the color family and the number the specific pigment: PB29 is Pigment Blue 29, ultramarine. Brands give the same pigment different names, so the code is how Pigfolio matches tubes across brands.

How to read a listing

• Opacity uses the square on most tube labels: empty is transparent, half is semi-transparent, shaded is semi-opaque, solid is opaque.
• Lightfastness is shown as LF I, II or III, translated from each maker's own scale (ASTM numbers, stars or letters). LF I is the most permanent.
• Hue marks a substitute: a Cadmium Red Hue made without cadmium, or an Alizarin Crimson made with a modern red.
• Paint pictures. A dashed frame means there's no photo yet. The flat swatch inside it is estimated from the listed pigments and isn't a photo. When painters post photos with their reviews, a moderator picks one as the paint's picture and credits the painter. Pigfolio doesn't use AI-generated images.

Where it comes from

We use each maker's published color chart wherever we can. Where we couldn't, the listing is marked Verify or Unconfirmed until someone checks a tube. Makers reformulate, so check the label before you buy something important.