Stop watering down your paint. It’s costing you more than you think.

When you’re painting with popular dark colours, the amount of tint required can make or break the quality of your finish. This article breaks down why a high opacity paint with a smarter tinting system doesn’t just cover better—it creates a more durable, longer-lasting result for your clients. The Problem Every Painter Faces with Dark Colours

As a professional applicator, you know that client demand for dark, dramatic colours has never been higher. Shades like Monument, Charcoal, and deep greys are staples in modern Australian design. But you also know the challenge that comes with them: achieving a flawless, durable finish without applying three, four, or even more coats.

The core of the issue lies in hiding power—or a lack thereof. When a client wants a deep colour, the standard process involves buying a white or light-coloured base paint off the shelf and adding a significant amount of liquid tint at the counter.

While this seems straightforward, it introduces a massive variable that compromises the very product you’re relying on for your reputation. You end up with a paint that’s harder to work with and a finish that’s less likely to stand the test of time, especially under the harsh Australian sun.

How Excessive Tint Destroys a Good Paint

Let's look at the numbers for a popular colour like Monument. To tint a standard 15-litre bucket of architectural paint from another brand, a paint store often has to add between 1.5 to 2 litres of tint. That’s more than 10% of the bucket’s volume being filled with a substance that isn't the core paint formula.

This process fundamentally alters and dilutes the product. The tint itself contains chemicals and pigments, but it lacks the advanced acrylic resins and binders that give a premium paint its strength, flexibility, and adhesion. In essence, you’re watering down the paint's most critical components.

This dilution leads to several problems that directly impact your work. The paint’s viscosity changes, its ability to cover the underlying surface is reduced, and—most importantly—the final dry film thickness is compromised. A thinner film means less protection, faster colour fade, and a greater chance of premature failure, forcing you to come back for costly rework.

The Shieldcoat Difference: A Smarter Approach to Colour

This is where a true high opacity paint changes the game. At Shieldcoat, we approached this problem differently. Instead of relying on massive volumes of tint to create dark colours, we engineered our tinting system and paint bases to work together more efficiently.

To achieve the exact same Monument colour in a 15-litre pail of Ultrashield Interior/Exterior, we only need to add around 300 millilitres of tint. This is possible because our system uses a much stronger, more concentrated black tint that all our distributors have access to. The result is a product that maintains its integrity, strength, and intended formulation.

By using up to 85% less tint, the paint in your bucket is exactly what it’s meant to be: a premium, high-solids acrylic coating designed for maximum performance, not a diluted mixture struggling to perform.

Tangible Benefits of High Opacity Paint for the Professional

Using a paint that isn’t compromised by excessive tinting provides real-world advantages on every job site, saving you time, labour, and materials.

Superior Hiding Power Means Fewer Coats

The most immediate benefit of high opacity paint is its incredible hiding power. Because the paint isn't diluted, its concentration of high-quality pigments remains high. This means you can achieve full, even coverage in fewer coats—often just one or two, even when going over a lighter colour.

Finishing a job in two coats instead of three or four is a massive saving in both labour and materials. It allows you to complete projects faster, move on to the next client, and increase your overall profitability.

Increased Durability for a Longer-Lasting Finish

A paint's durability comes from its binders. When you use less tint, you get a higher concentration of the premium acrylic resins that form the protective film. Shieldcoat Ultrashield, for instance, is crafted with the same durable ingredients found in our renowned roof membranes.

When the paint dries, less water evaporates, leaving a thicker and more robust film on the surface. This thicker build offers superior protection against the elements, resists mould and dirt, and is far more resistant to fading. For your clients, this means a beautiful finish that lasts. For you, it means fewer callbacks and a stronger reputation for quality work.

Better Value and Reduced Project Costs

While a premium high opacity paint might have a higher upfront cost per bucket, the overall project cost is often lower. By achieving coverage in fewer coats, you buy less paint. By spending less time on application, your labour costs decrease significantly.

Think of it as an investment in efficiency. You’re not just buying paint; you’re buying a system that allows you to get the job done faster and with a better, more reliable result that protects your professional reputation.

What to Look for in a True High Opacity Paint

Not all paints are created equal. When evaluating a product for its hiding power and quality, here are a few technical points to consider:

Check the Volume Solids

"Volume solids" refers to the percentage of the paint that remains on the wall after the liquid components (like water) have evaporated. A higher percentage generally indicates a better-quality paint that will leave a thicker, more protective film. Shieldcoat Ultrashield has an average volume solids of 50%, ensuring what you apply is what stays to protect the surface.

Ask About the Tinting System

Don't be afraid to ask your supplier a simple question: "How much tint does it take to make this bucket Monument?" The answer will tell you everything you need to know about the quality of the base paint and the efficiency of the tinting system. If the number is in litres, you know the product is being diluted.

Choose a Formulation Built for Purpose

Select a paint specifically formulated for the Australian climate. Products like Ultrashield are designed to endure the high UV exposure and variable weather conditions unique to our country. This built-for-purpose engineering ensures long-term performance where other, more generic formulations might fail.

Protect Your Reputation with a Superior Finish

Ultimately, every coat of paint you apply is a reflection of your craftsmanship. The products you choose are just as important as the skills you bring to the job. Using a high opacity paint isn't just about making your job easier; it's about delivering a result that you can stand behind with confidence.

By choosing a system that prioritises formulation integrity over tinting convenience, you ensure a more durable, efficient, and visually stunning outcome. Stop compromising with diluted paints and start delivering the flawless, long-lasting finish your clients deserve.