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Can You Mix Colors of KBS MAXX Together to Create a Custom Color?

Yes. You can blend KBS MAXX colors together to create your own shade, including mixing Silver Metallic into another color for a metallic look. Always blend the Base colors first until the color is final, then add MAXX Activator at 3 parts blended Base to 1 part Activator.

Blending KBS MAXX Colors: Quick Facts

Blend with: KBS MAXX only, never another product line
Order: blend the colors first, add the Activator last
Batch size: enough for the whole job in one batch
Factory custom match: 7 gallon minimum, about 4 weeks
Mix the whole job in one batch. Hand-measured ratios are very hard to reproduce exactly, and a second batch will not match the first. Measure by weight or with a graduated cup, and write your ratio down as you go.

How to Blend KBS MAXX Colors

  1. Pick stock KBS MAXX colors to blend. Keep to one sheen: blending a gloss with a satin or matte color gives you whatever sheen falls out of it.
  2. Mix each color thoroughly in its own can with a mechanical mixer first.
  3. Measure the colors by weight or with a graduated cup, starting light and working darker. It takes very little black to darken a color and a lot of white to lighten one.
  4. Blend the colors completely until the shade is final.
  5. Add MAXX Activator at 3 parts blended Base to 1 part Activator and mix again. See how to mix KBS MAXX.
  6. Spray or brush a test panel and let it cure. Wet color in the cup is not the final color on the part.

Adding a Metallic Look

Mixing some KBS MAXX Silver Metallic into another KBS MAXX color gives that color a metallic look. As with any blend, settle the final color before you activate it, and brush or spray it with the metallic technique in Can Metallic Colors of KBS MAXX Be Brushed?.

When You Need an Exact Match

Blending by hand is right when the shade is up to you. To match an existing part, a company color, or a factory finish, KBS can custom make the color in KBS MAXX. Send a physical paint chip or a small painted part, which the lab reads with an optical color sensor. A paint code sometimes works. A photo cannot be used, because cameras and screens shift color too much to formulate from.

The KBS MAXX custom color minimum is 7 gallons, and lead time is about 4 weeks. Read why custom colors have a minimum order. To compare against the standard colors first, request a free color sample.

Frequently Asked Questions: KBS MAXX Custom Colors

Can you mix colors of KBS MAXX together to create a custom color?

Yes. Blend KBS MAXX Base colors together to create your own shade, then add MAXX Activator. You can also mix KBS MAXX Silver Metallic into another color to give it a metallic look.

Before. Blend the Base colors together until you have your final color, then add MAXX Activator at 3 parts blended Base to 1 part Activator. Once it is activated, the 30 minute pot life has started.

No. Only blend KBS MAXX with KBS MAXX. Never mix across product lines, and avoid blending a gloss with a satin or matte color unless you are willing to accept whatever sheen results.

Enough for the entire job in one batch. Hand-measured ratios are very hard to reproduce exactly, so a second batch will not match the first. Measure by weight or with a graduated cup and write down your ratio.

Yes. Send a physical paint chip or small painted part, which the lab reads with an optical color sensor. Paint codes sometimes work, but photos cannot be used. The KBS MAXX custom color minimum is 7 gallons, with a lead time of about 4 weeks.

Yes. KBS Coatings mails free painted color samples of standard colors so you can check the real color in your own light before ordering.

Still have questions about KBS MAXX? Contact us for help.

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