We received your email and are happy to hear of your interest in
Valspar products. If you are buying a can of paint that says
"Ready-Mixed White" or other pre-mixed factory colors, you will find
that these paint cans are filled to the correct volume (32 ounces for a
quart, 128 ounces for a gallon, etc). To be able to mix the variety of
colors available, certain paint cans leave the factory short-filled to
allow room for the pigment which is added at the store. This is why any
paint can labeled Base 1, Base 2, or Base 4 specifically states on the
can "Must be tinted." These different bases are used to make different
colors. Base 1's (also called pastel bases) are filled to 126 ounces
allowing 2 ounces of colorant to be added for off-white colors. Base
2's (also called tint bases) are filled to 124 ounces allowing 4 ounces
of colorant to be added for medium colors. Base 4's (also called clear
bases) are filled to 116 ounces allowing 12 ounces of colorant to be
added for deep or dark colors. The formula for any given color (or the
recipe) would include at least enough colorant to bring the can up to
the correct volume (32 oz for a qt, 128 oz for a gallon, etc). If you
have any further questions, feel free to contact us at 1-888-313-5569.

Sincerely,

Tom Fester
Technical Specialist
Valspar Corporation

Having worked as a Paint Department Manager for Lowe's, this explanation is dead on.
Different bases have different amounts of paint and levels of white, to accommodate the tint depending on how light or dark a color is. The formula takes that into account and dispenses enough colorant to bring the level of paint up to a gallon.

Standard operating procedure at any paint store.

The posters who have commented that the missing ounces in the "gallon" of paint are in fact replaced by pigment are correct. The bottom row of numbers in the second picture at the head of the article shows that approximately 12 ounces of pigment have been added to Eggshell base 4 (which contains 116 ounces of base to start with): 2 shots of black, 3 ounces 20 shots of blue, 6 ounces 40 shots of white, and 1 ounce 16 shots of another color (there are 48 shots in an ounce). This adds up to just shy of 12 ounces, so in the end the customer is getting 128 ounces of paint.

Also, the different bases are designed to be used for either darker or lighter colors. Base 4 is meant to be used for darker colors (requiring more pigment), so there is less base than, say, Base 1, which is meant to be used for lighter colors (requiring less pigment).

So, in the end, the customer isn't getting shafted. And if the customer happened to want just the base color, the paint technician would simply top off the can of paint to 128 ounces!

Also, my girlfriend recommends staying away from this particular line of paint (Valspar Signature), and instead purchasing Valspar Ultra Premium. It's easier to work with than Signature, but much nicer than the cheaper stuff that Lowe's sells!

@Snowblind

Tint can change the viscosity, but that gets a little tricky as different colorants have different viscosities. Different finishes, as well. That's more into the realm of where it starts to make my head hurt a little bit :P

That, or if it's a two-part system, or if there are any other additives/fillers/thinners/etc. the volume of the parts will add up to 1 gallon. (trust me, this is my trade)

@kable2: Oh, OK. Sorry... I have often had to explain this to hair-trigger Texans who think I'm personally cheating them.

And if I remember correctly, it has been a long time since I worked at a HW store, it also adjusts for viscosity.

Tint changes the viscosity, thinning it out. So the bases had different viscosity to offset the tint.

Brush and roller has some slack, but using a sprayer requires the right viscosity.

I used to manage a hardware store, and I've had people ask me this question before. Some of the commenters are right on, and that it is to leave room for tint.

Since not all colors will require the same amount of tint, different manufacturers sell a variety of bases. Some call their bases "Base 1, 2, etc." while some give them names that make a little more sense, like "Midtone, Deeptone, Neutral, or Pastel, etc."

In the example in the photo, for that green color, you can see the formula on the label.

When it says 101-2, I'm assuming that means you add 2/48ths of an Oz of "101" (one of their colorants). In the paint world forumlas are given in a manner such as 2Y40 which would mean 2 Oz, and 40/48ths of an ounce. Some places may say "1 Oz, 28 shots" which would be 1 Oz, 28/48ths.

So in this formula you have 11.625 ounces of tint added to Base 4, so you have a total of 127.625 ounces of paint in the 1 gallon container.

Now some formulas might call for less colorant, and would go into a different base.

As mentioned before, some colorants can be very expensive, so the deeper-tone colors are more expensive for the store to make. That being said, no retailar charges based on what color you buy. You pay for what size (gallon or quart) and what finish (flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, etc). So you could buy 2 gallons of flat paint, and you'd pay the same price for them, no matter what the color. Even if one color was $2-3 more expensive for the store to make.

You aren't being ripped off, and I don't really know a better way to advertise the paint. Should the label say 127.625 Oz. rather than "One Gallon?" I don't know, and personally I think that would be rather silly.

And if you did buy a gallon of ready-mixed paint, for a standard color such as white... you will get 128 oz.

Howie999, the 116oz vs 122oz at Lowe's is likely a case of deep base vs normal base.

A gallon is a gallon, and 116oz not a gallon. Unless they have some specific disclaimer that says "Gallon refers to volume of container, actual volume of contents may vary" you can't advertise a gallon and then sell less, even if its fairly reasonable as to why.

If I were a lawyer I'd ready up for a nice class-action suit and take my cut of the tasty pre-trial settlement.

I reported to Meg a few weeks ago that Home Depot's BEHR paint was 122 fl. oz., but I figured the shortage was because of the pigment. Now I have the question - why is HD's paint 122 fl. oz., Lowe's is 116 fl. oz. and/or 122 fl. oz.? Certainly, the pigment differs based on the color, but somebody somewhere is getting shorted a few ounces.

@speedwell:

yea I know that lol.

/the trimmings are used to make mdf and other stuff

@savvy999: Obviously they're just advertising the gallon container used to hold the paint.

Too bad they can't claim "contents may settle" like the cereal people do.

@joebar: The white or pastel bases are usually filled to 128 oz. You can only put an ounce or two of pigment in that base...

Now whether or not it actually HAS 1 gallon of paint in it, is a different story, and explained well by others.

This is true with just about every bulk liquid container. A 55-gallon drum of gas/veggie oil/whatever doesn't have exactly 55.00 gallons of whatever in it, there's always a little headroom at the top.

In this case, the paint can has a little bit more headroom to allow for the addition of pigment.

So the question is, is this a deliberate scamming of consumers, or a time-accepted practice, and only now are people figuring it out? Methinks the latter.

@kable2: As I mentioned before, a 2-by-4 starts out as a 2 by 4 cut. After dressing, drying, and straightening, it is supposed to be 1-1/2 by 3-1/2. If you go to the lumber mill and purchase freshly milled, green, wet, unseasoned, rough 2-by-4s (which I understand is possible), then you can have your full 2 by 4. I wouldn't want lumber that way.

They typically add 4-8 ounces of marbles to the can to aid mixing the paint. Also, 2-6 ribbons of chocolate fudge, if the flavor is fudge-based.

I had a guy at Canadian Tire add the tint to the wrong paint cans. He was adding it to the cans of white instead of the ones made for tint to be added, it was overflowing from the cans. And it tinted a kind of pink instead of the deep red I wanted. I wasnt questioning him untill at can 15 I noticed him using a cup to bail out some paint to make room for the tints :O

/I got the 15 cans of $38 paint for $5 each
//Using it as a base coat in the new house
///yea you have to add the tint to get the gallon

actually a 2x4 doesnt measure 2" x 4".

measure one sometime.

/I want my .5" x .5" back ;)

@AstroPig7:

Grocery shrink ray FAIL.

@MrEvil: The label also states right underneath the circles on the right "MUST BE TINTED". It also lists the amount of paint in the can. AFTER tinting, a new label is applied by the employee which states 1 gallon. If the machine adds 12oz of pigment, then this label would be the correct label.

The Grocery Shrink Ray hits the English standard measurement system?

Sounds like a job for The Department of Weights and Measures.

But I'm willing to go along with the "numbers on the can indicate quantity of base" theory. Still, you'd think that they'd put on a label that says "116 oz base/12 oz pigment"

If you read the can, it says "Base 1". There are usually Bases 1-5. This is not actually a gallon of white paint that anyone should be purchasing (without adding tint).

Lowes used to have the "bases" within the cage in the paint department, but have since removed the cage to make it more customer friendly, which in this case has only caused more problems.

I was fixing to say, it's not that the tints just magically disappear in the 128oz of base. You have to account for the space the tints take up since they do have volume. The more empty bases are for darker/more brilliant colors as others have stated.

However, it should say "1 gallon after tinting"

I'll grudgingly buy this explanation.

@eekfuh: Sorry...but wrong. The can says fl oz., which is fluid ounces, which measures volume.

There are 128 fluid oz to a gallon. Thats based on water.

Obviously the paint weighs more than water and they are measuring the ounces in mass not volume, however the gallon is measured in volume.

All in all I wouldn't freak out too much. Chances are if you were to bring this up to an experienced paint mixer he or she would probably point at the colorants and tell you thats where the extra ounces go.

@muckpond: 2x4s are really 2x4... before they've been trimmed and sanded. It's 2x4 from the lumber mill's point of view, not from the end user's.

As others have stated, the cans are short-filled to allow room for pigment. I worked for 8 years for a national paint manufacture (in their color lab) and this is standard practice. The formula for any given color (the 'recipe') would include at least enough colorant to bring the can up to the correct volume (32 oz for a qt, 128 for a gallon, etc).

BTW...some of the colorants are very (VERY) expensive. The reds and yellows tend to be the most expensive, and black and umber (a dirty brown) tend to be the cheapest. But if you wondered why strong and/or bright colors cost more than an off-white...there's your answer.

@ryan89, TWinter: The cans shown are "Eggshell Base 1" (126 fl. oz.) and "Eggshell Base 4" (116 fl. oz.). This jives with a MousePrint.org posting from late 2006 indicating that darker bases may require more tint than lighter bases, thus 12 vs. 2 oz. short. As some have guessed, this is done when tint is to be added, so to base paints rather than pre-mixed colors. And yes Home Depot's Behr does it to.

While the linked article asserts there's nothing illegal in this widespread (and sensible, I might add) industry practice, it certainly appears that more than "must add tint" is needed for the average weekend DIYer to know what's going on, e.g. something like "one gallon (with tint), maybe."

Is it possible that the label correctly states the volume of the "base" paint, before tinting (coloring) are added? If you started with a true gallon of base there may not be any room to add the coloring to make your living room "hot mocha starbeam" or whatever crazy name the call brown these days. Afting all the coloring is added you may actually have 128 fl-oz of paint. Just a thought.

Sadly, it's just one of those things.