CREATEX COLORS REDUCERS

You’ve probably noticed that we did not mention 4012 in the title of this article. That’s because Createx is discontinuing it. It’s not even on their official Createx Tech website and will become unavailable soon. We’re still carrying 4012 in our additive’s selection at the moment of publication of this article, but that may change any day. 

Let’s start with 4011 Reducer – it’s recommended by the manufacturer as a “go-to” standard reducer for all the paints Createx Colors offer, including the candy2o line and sealers. 

How exactly does this reducer work? As you may know, Createx paints are water-based. When the 4011 reducer is mixed with any of these paints, it breaks down water’s surface tension within the paint. That leads to better flow in an airbrush or spray gun, and better leveling on a surface. 

How to reduce Createx paints properly? Small steps are the best approach. If too much reducer is added at once, it can shock paint and lead to seeding/chunking and clogging airbrush/spray gun as a result. Start with 5% or so. Don’t have to be super precise, eyeballing is fine but try to be close to 5%, no more than 10% at a time. 4011 reducer is quite effective and even 5% can significantly change the way paint sprays. For best performance, after adding reducer to the paint, let it sit for 10 minutes. That would allow reducer to acclimate with the paint and you will see the best effect. If 5-10% was not enough, you can repeat the procedure and add reducer again. It is not recommended to add more than 20% reducer. Please don’t use it to add transparency to the paint. If you’re trying to make the paint more transparent, use resins such as 4004 for harder surfaces or 5601 for flexible or fabric surfaces. 4030 or 4050 UVLS clear also a good choice for hard surface. There are no pot life limitations after reducing Createx paint with 4011 reducers, but it will speed up the evaporation of the water so make sure you keep paints in closed bottles.