Natural Color System (NCS) June 28, 2008
Posted by admin in : Colour Chart , 46commentsI get countless enquiries on colours. Last week, there was a search on this site for the colour S2060-R20B. Let me use this opportunity to explain this particular colour notation and the colour system it originates from.
I’ve mentioned in the past the BS or British Standards colour system and the RAL colour system from Germany (see post). Now, I would like to introduce another widely used colour system - the Natural Color System or NCS. NCS is developed by the Scandinavian Colour Institute AB (www.ncscolour.com). There are 1750 colours in the current NCS Index Edition 2.
Like the BS and the RAL systems, NCS is developed for the ease and efficient communication of colours. This simple statement understates the importance of such a colour system. It is an almost indispensable tool of communication. For example, if you need to specify a colour for a product made half way round the world, naming conventions like ‘Grass Green’ or ‘Sky Blue’ would not do. Grass may be greener on the other side (pun intended) and sky may not be blue in some places. Besides, there are thousands of shades of blue or green. Ambiguity in such conventions can lead to complaints, loss of confidence and even litigations. Colour systems allow for the use of a set of alpha-numerics to communicate colours. All uncertainties removed.
A bit more background to the NCS. The 2nd Edition of NCS was launched in 1995, based on 60 years of research by the Scandinavian Colour Institute AB. Unlike the BS and the RAL systems, the NCS colour notation is self-explanatory. Lets go into its notation, using S2060-R20B as an example :
This is how it works:
The NCS notation is based on the similarity between the colour in question and the 6 elementary colours - Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Black and White. The 1st letter ‘S’ denotes the use of the 2nd edition. The next 4 letters indicates nuances. In this case, ‘20′ indicates the colours resemblance to black and ‘60′ indicates its degree of chromaticness. ‘2060′ therefore tells us that this colour has 20% ‘blackness’ and 60% ‘chromaticness’.
The next 4 alphanumeric describes the colour’s hue - how it resembles the 2 elementary colours shown by the 2 letters. In this case, ‘R20B’ means the colour has 20% ‘blueness’ and 80% ‘redness’.
Pure greys do not have hue and is notated by its nuances and a letter ‘N’. White is ‘S0500-N’, while black is ‘S9000-N’. ‘S1000-N’, ‘S1500-N’ and ‘S2000-N’ are gradations of pure grey.
Currently, in paint products, Jotun utilises NCS in its tinting machines. In the past, ICI Colour Dimension also made use of NCS. But a number of years ago, ICI switched to the Master Palette Color System. The notation is different, eg.
50YY 77/285
From my internet search, I found a great site that provides an online viewer of NCS colours. The site is created by Robert Karlsson of i2 Studios. It lets you key in the NCS colour notation and shows you onscreen the colour entered. Do note that all colours produced online will vary according to the colour settings of your display unit, and serves only as a guide. Go to:
Hope the above article helps you understand a bit more about this particular colour system.
Please feel free to leave your questions or comments by clicking here.
Jotun Colour Card June 26, 2007
Posted by admin in : Colour Chart, Marine Paints , 106comments
click on the image to see the colour chart (pdf file)
I am posting this chart for the benefit of those
enquiring about the Jotun’s range of Marine and Protective Paints. These past weeks I’ve received several enquiries about Jotun floor paint, especially from Batam. All colours shown on this Jotun chart are available in two-pack epoxy paint and is suitable for floor coating. Specifically, the Jotun Penguard and the Jotun Penguard HB are recommended. I will discuss the paint system soon.
RAL Colours May 2, 2007
Posted by admin in : Colour Chart, Marine Paints , 25commentsI was going to post Part 2 of ‘Choosing A Painting Contractor’ but decided to post this first, since 2 emails received this past week asked what RAL colours were. 
RAL colour is simply a German colour standard. It gives a reference point for paint colours to be specified, not unlike British Standard colours or BS Colours for short. RAL colour standard is the work of the RAL German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification. In 1927, in fulfilling its wish for a single unified colour range, the institute came up with a Colour Collection called RAL 840-HR. The numerical notations given to the individual colours in this standard allows for clear and concise specification and communication within and across industries.
This RAL 840-HR standard (also known as the Classic RAL Range) was set up in 1927. It gives each colour in its range a 4-digit number, eg. RAL 1012 for Lemon Yellow or RAL 5019 for Capri Blue. Initially, this standard had only 40 colours but it has risen over the years to more than 200 today. The colours in this standard are used widely in many industries and differs from other colour standards with its inclusion of safety and signalling colours. For example, RAL 3001 is Signal Red and RAL 1023 is Traffic Yellow. The RAL colours can be viewed on several websites. Examples are: http://www.indfinspec.demon.co.uk/ral_colour_chart.htm http://www.themeter.net/ral_e.htm The colour fanbook can be purchased from : http://www.ral.de/en/ral_farben/farbkarten/index.php
RAL colours in the RAL 840-HR Classic range can be tinted by some tinting machines. Contact me if you have such requirement.
International Marine Paint Colour Chart April 24, 2007
Posted by admin in : Colour Chart, Marine Paints , 7commentsI’ve uploaded the International Sea colour chart some time ago (see post). This standard Marine Paint colour chart seems long overdue. I choose to provide the Sea Colour chart because it is not readily available, while many have a copy of the standard chart. For those who don’t, and want to have a rough idea of the colour, click below:
International Marine Chart
This standard chart is used for the various range of International products such as Interlac, Intergard, Interthane etc.
Great Painting Tips recommends - Berger Pathmasta April 15, 2007
Posted by admin in : Colour Chart, Painting Tips , 12comments
This is a perenial favourite as far as floor paints are concern. The Berger Pathmasta is a modified polyurethane coating that is tough and hard wearing. It is designed for use on cement and concrete floors where heavy foot traffic is expected. I tested the drying time of the paint, since drying time is an important consideration for floor coatings. I applied a single coat on a concrete surface at 30 degree C. It was touch dry in slightly over half an hour. About another half hour later, it was no longer tacky. According to the specifications, it can be overcoated after 12 hours at 35 degree C, or after 24 hours at 25 degree C. Theoretical coverage is at 7.0 sq m per litre per coat. Dry film thickness is about 50 microns. You should build up the film thickness to 100 microns (2 coats) where possible. Otherwise, one coat may just be slightly better than being cosmetic. Click on the picture on top to view the colour chart. It is available in 10 colours - White and Black included. Pathmasta is semi-gloss and comes in 1-litre and 5-litre packings. Please refer to the Price Reference page for the latest prices for the 2 sizes. 
Product Specifications
