Mixing colors into epoxy resin feels like the next step for anyone pushing into art or crafts. The online space buzzes with recipes—some look easy, others send you chasing rare pigments. Lots of folks have asked about acrylic paints and resin. A bottle of acrylic costs next to nothing compared to fancy resin dyes, so the idea pulls in hobbyists on a budget or those experimenting at home.
I once tried mixing a cheap craft-store acrylic into a small batch of clear epoxy. At first, it produced a gorgeous color, but then tiny bubbles formed. As the batch cured, the finish looked milky, not crystal clear like I wanted. Acrylic paints hold water, and that becomes a real problem. Water and resin just don’t get along. The water can throw off curing times and leave the finished product soft or streaky.
Acrylic paint contains more than pigment. There’s binder, water, sometimes even fillers—mixed with resin, these extras can disrupt the chemistry. Epoxy manufacturers design their mix for oil-based or resin-specific colorants, which blend cleanly, keep clarity, and let the piece finish hard.
Using acrylic paint inside resin can look good at first, but long term results vary. Batches set with acrylic sometimes stay tacky, never harden completely, or show fish eyes and small craters on the surface. Makers posting on craft forums report yellowing or clouding that appears weeks after a project comes out of the mold. None of these side effects show up with resin dye or powdered pigments designed for the job.
Epoxy-safe pigment powders offer bright color and keep the transparency if you want it. Alcohol inks sink into resin, swirl, and marble for dramatic effects. Even a basic box of resin colorants skips all the problems that come with acrylics. Some people add artist-grade oil paints in small, careful doses, but this runs a similar risk as acrylic and isn’t as reliable as using resin dyes.
Longtime crafters often urge beginners to stay close to what the resin manufacturers suggest. This advice lines up with my experience. I’ve lost more than one promising piece to a shortcut that didn’t pan out. Those failed batches usually point to one problem: incompatible materials.
For those selling work or even gifting a piece, strength and finish count. Batches that don’t cure right turn sticky, yellow, or fall apart. That ruins not just a project, but trust in what you’re making. Today’s buyers want long-lasting, quality pieces, and using the right colorants fits with that trust.
People want lower costs and more color choices, but there’s value in matching the right product to each project. Rather than gambling with acrylic paint, it makes more sense—and proves safer on the wallet over time—to work with resin colorants, powders, or inks tested to perform. That small upfront investment means you hand over work that lasts.
