Tinting water-borne and solvent-borne paints and stains with water-only colorants

1. A method for point-of-sale custom paint or stain tinting, the method comprising using an automated or manual colorant dispenser to dispense into water-borne and solvent-borne base paints or stains at a retail, wholesale or combined retail/wholesale outlet one or more water-only fluid colorants selected from an array of colorants including at least white, black, red, green and blue water-only colorants that exhibit less than a 6 pass score or more than a moderate dark rating when 4 oz. of the colorant are added to a gallon of a conventional solvent-borne polyurethane alkyd paint and evaluated using the Rub-Up Test, and further comprising adding to or including in the solvent-borne base paints or stains at least one synergist containing one or more ingredients that will disperse the water-only colorants into such solvent-borne base paints or stains, wherein the synergist is added to the solvent-borne base paint or stain before dispensing any of the one or more water-only fluid colorants into such solvent-borne base paint or stain.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein water-only fluid colorants are used whenever tinting a water-borne base paint or stain, and water-only fluid colorants and the synergist are used whenever tinting a solvent-borne base paint or stain.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the amount or type of synergist added to the solvent-borne base paint or stain varies depending on the amount or type of colorant to be dispensed, or depending on the solvent-borne base paint or stain to be tinted.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises an anionic surfactant.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant and cosolvent.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant, cosolvent and rheology modifier.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant and dispersing agent.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein at least 80 wt. % of the synergist comprises surfactant or dispersing agent or cosolvent.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant, cosolvent and rheology modifier.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist further comprises an adhesion promoter.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist further comprises a diluent.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the diluent is a reactive diluent.

13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist is contained in a metal or plastic box, can, cartridge, jar, pouch, squeeze bottle, syringe or collapsible tube.

14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein all of the colorants in the array are water-only fluid colorants.

15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent-borne base paint or stain comprises an alkyd paint, polyurethane paint, epoxy paint or oil-based stain.

16. A method for point-of-sale custom paint or stain tinting, the method comprising using an automated or manual colorant dispenser to dispense into water-borne and solvent-borne base paints or stains at a retail, wholesale or combined retail/wholesale outlet one or more water-only fluid colorants selected from an array of colorants including at least white, black, red, green and blue water-only colorants that exhibit less than a 6 pass score or more than a moderate dark rating when 4 oz. of the colorant are added to a gallon of a conventional solvent-borne polyurethane alkyd paint and evaluated using the Rub-Up Test, and further comprising adding to or including in the solvent-borne base paints or stains at least one synergist containing one or more ingredients that will disperse the water-only colorants into such solvent-borne base paints or stains, wherein water-only fluid colorants are used whenever tinting a water-borne base paint or stain, and water-only fluid colorants and the synergist are used whenever tinting a solvent-borne base paint or stain.

17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist is added to the solvent-borne base paint or stain before dispensing any of the one or more water-only fluid colorants into such solvent-borne base paint or stain.

18. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the amount or type of synergist added to the solvent-borne base paint or stain varies depending on the amount or type of colorant to be dispensed, or depending on the solvent-borne base paint or stain to be tinted.

19. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist comprises an anionic surfactant.

20. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant and cosolvent.

21. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant, cosolvent and rheology modifier.

22. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant and dispersing agent.

23. A method according to claim 16 , wherein at least 80 wt. % of the synergist comprises surfactant or dispersing agent or cosolvent.

24. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant, cosolvent and rheology modifier.

25. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist further comprises an adhesion promoter.

26. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist further comprises a diluent.

27. A method according to claim 26 , wherein the diluent is a reactive diluent.

28. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the synergist is contained in a metal or plastic box, can, cartridge, jar, pouch, squeeze bottle, syringe or collapsible tube.

29. A method according to claim 16 , wherein all of the colorants in the array are water-only fluid colorants.

30. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the solvent-borne base paint or stain comprises an alkyd paint, polyurethane paint, epoxy paint or oil-based stain.