Blick Artists' Acrylic - Alizarin Crimson Hue, 16 oz

Pigment Information

This color contains the following pigments:

PR170-Naphthol Red

PR122-Quinacridone Magenta

Pigment Name

PR170-Naphthol Red

Pigment Type

organic, naphthol AS

Chemical Formula

C26H22N4O4

Properties

Pigment PR170 is a bright deep red with bluish undertones. It has an average drying time. It has two crystaline forms that differ significantly in opacity. The more transparent form (F5RK) tends to be more bluish and is less lightfast.

Permanence

The lightfastness and weatherfastness of Pigment PR170 varies, depending on the application and the crystaline form. The opaque form (F3RK) has very good lightfastness, and is more weather resistant. The transparent form (F5RK) has lightfastness that is considered acceptable in pure applications, but it fades more in tints. Neither form is considered suitable for exterior use.

Toxicity

Naphthol Reds are not considered toxic. They may cause eye, skin, or respiratory irritation. Contact with dry pigment should be avoided.

History

Naphthol pigments are actually dyes that are "laked" to form pigments. First developed by the German chemical company Hoechst A.G. before World War I, their use in artist paints began in the 1920s. Pigment Red PR170 is a Naphthol AS pigment, chemically related to the diarylide yellow pigments. The Naphthol AS pigments comprise a range of reds. They are used in plastics, textiles, and printing inks.

Pigment Name

PR122-Quinacridone Magenta

Pigment Type

organic, quinacridone

Chemical Formula

C22H16N2O2

Properties

Quinacridone Magenta is a semi-transparent and powerful bluish red with an impressive mixing range. It makes an excellent glazing color and is one of the bluest of the Quinacridone colors. The pigment's properties vary considerably, depending on how it is ground. Quinacridone pigments have relatively low tinting strength in general. For this reason, quinacridone colors are often expensive, because more pigment is required in the formulation.

Permanence

Quinacridone Magenta offers very good lightfastness in most media, but some have argued that it is less lightfast in watercolor form. Although Quinacridone Magenta received only a passing grade of "fair" under ASTM test protocols, other test results have rated the pigment very good to excellent. Transparent reddish violet pigments in general have more problems with lightfastness than any other range of colors. PR122 is often used as the Magenta of CMYK (four color) process printing because it offers a better tradeoff between tinting strength and lightfastness than other pigments in its class.

Toxicity

Quinacridone Magenta has no acute hazards. Overexposure to quinacridone pigments may cause skin irritation. Quinicridone pigments contain a compound found to be a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant.

History

Quinacridone Magenta came from a red violet aniline dye that was first produced in 1858 by Natanson. It was called Magenta to commemorate a battle in Magenta, Italy. Over time, Magenta became the standard color name for a deep, violet red. Although quinacridone compounds became known in the late 19th century, methods of manufacturing so as to make them practical for use as commercial pigments did not begin until the 1950s. PR122 has become particularly popular in the formulation of Magenta for CMYK process printing.