Pigments can be organic or Inorganic. Most modern pigments are given this usage designation by the Color Index. They can be completely synthetic, naturally occurring minerals, or lakes based on the synthetic derivatives of natural dyes.

Inorganic pigments are undoubtedly the go-to pigment market for brighter, stable and long lasting pigments.

The use of inorganic pigments dates back to the early cave paintings that are 30,000 years old. Although they occur naturally, for the manufacturing of paint they usually require modification. All white pigments are inorganic and a wide range of colored pigments is also available.