Pigments

The effects pigments industry uses three key pigment classes: absorption pigments, metal effect pigments, and pearlescent pigments. We are familiar with absorption pigments from watercolor paints, for example. They represent "true" colors, as they absorb part of the light that hits them and scatter the rest. This phenomenon gives them their own body color. In contrast, silver metal effect pigments reflect almost all the light like lots of tiny mirrors. This gives them their great surface luster, which is sometimes considered dazzling.