Umbers are one of the oldest pigments used by mankind, based on the naturally occurring Umber ore. These natural Iron-Oxides are known for their durability. They are both lightfast and chemically resistant. As such, they are considered permanent pigments.

One of the characteristics that makes Raw Umbers such useful pigments, is that they are a “neutral toner”. Often brighter colored pigments are too bright (or have too much chroma) for a given application. Adding a black pigment to darken these colors add an undesirable color component from the black. Raw Umbers maintain a neutral tone, reducing a brighter pigment’s chroma without affecting the hue. As a result, Raw Umbers are a major component in today’s architectural coatings coloring systems, and other tinting systems as well.

Umbers

Umbers: CATHAY offers raw and burnt umber and sienna pigments of uncompromising quality. These pigments have semi-transparent properties making them ideal for use in wood and furniture stains. 

Raw Umbers

Raw Umber is excellent brown pigments and popular in the stain industry due to their semi-transparency. Though they are not heat stable, UR81 can be used to produce many warm gray tones. It is also used extensively by the colorant houses to darken a color without seriously affecting its chromaticity.

Burnt Umbers

Burnt Umbers offer the best value in brown pigments. These materials are in high demand in the stain industry because of their semi-transparency. Burnt Umbers have a reddish undertone and exhibit good heat stability.