How to Add Color to Resin

Before mixing anything, take stock of what you have. The main options are resin pigment ink (an acrylic-base liquid that comes in vivid colors), alcohol ink (a thinner dye-based ink), and mica powder (a shimmery metallic powder). Acrylic paint works too but has some quirks. India inks and pigment powders are also out there worth exploring once you have the basics down.

Split your mixed resin into small cups, one per color. Add pigment ink a tiny drop at a time - seriously, start with less than you think you need. You can always add more, but once the color is too dark or too concentrated, you're starting over with fresh resin. Stir each cup thoroughly until the color is even and streak-free. These pigment inks give really vivid, saturated results.

Acrylic paint is probably already in your craft stash, so it's a natural first thing to try. The downside: it doesn't fully blend into resin the way liquid pigments do. You tend to get a slightly powdery, uneven texture in the cured piece - small blobs where the paint didn't integrate. Use it in tiny amounts and stir well. It's fine for practice or for pieces where a slightly matte, uneven look is acceptable.

Mica powder (like Pearl EX) mixes into resin beautifully and gives a metallic shimmer that pigment inks can't replicate. Scoop a small amount into your resin cup and stir it in. You can add quite a bit without affecting the cure - the color builds up as you add more. For an extra-intense effect on detailed molds, dust the dry powder into the mold with a soft brush before pouring.

A dirty pour is when you combine two different colored portions of resin in the same cup and pour them together into the mold without fully mixing them. With mica powder resin this looks especially good because the shimmer catches light differently in each swirl. Tilt the cup gently as you pour to let the colors fold into each other. The result is layered, marbled, and hard to replicate twice.

Alcohol ink works differently from the others. Drip it into a cup of clear resin without stirring to create a swirled petri-dish effect - the ink floats and spreads, making gorgeous abstract patterns when poured. If you stir it in, the color becomes more uniform but noticeably lighter than the ink looks in the bottle. Alcohol inks are translucent, so your poured pieces will have a jewel-like quality rather than an opaque look.

Once you've poured all your molds, set them on a flat, level surface and leave them alone. Most epoxy resins need 24-48 hours to fully cure, and touching them early can leave fingerprints or disturb the surface. Cover them loosely with a box or container to keep dust out - small particles land easily on wet resin and get locked in permanently.

Gently flex silicone molds to release pieces - they should pop out cleanly if the resin has fully cured. Lay them all out and compare. The acrylic paint pieces show a softer, slightly uneven texture. The alcohol ink pieces look translucent and jewel-like but may appear lighter than expected. The mica pieces catch the light with a metallic shimmer. If any pieces feel slightly tacky on the back, leave them an extra day.

Resin pigment ink is the standout performer for vivid, true-to-color results. The cured gummy bears and trinkets come out glossy, saturated, and jelly-like. To get softer pastel shades, mix a small amount of white pigment ink into your color before pouring - it tones down the intensity and gives a milky, pastel finish. These pieces hold their color well over time, which makes pigment ink a great default choice for most resin projects.