Cream&Sugar - an N9 reflective screen mix.

[Harpmaker]

Hi folks!

There seems to be a lot of interest in lighter reflective DIY screen paints. Even though I am really going in the opposite direction in search of a really good dark reflective screen paint, I decided to see if the reflective ingredient I was using could also be used for a very light screen.

The data and photos below should be enough to give you a good idea of what the mix I call "Cream&Sugar" will do. They aren't sexy "screenies", but they tell the story, at least most of it.

I call this mix Cream&Sugar because it isn't white, but an off-white kind of like cream, and the sparkle in the mix is the sugar. As will be shown later, the mix is neutral, but just barely.

Addendum: During the course of this thread I developed three different Cream&Sugar mixes and designated them C&S #1, C&S #2 and C&S #3. The formula given below is now called C&S #1.

First, the ingredients; the "cream" is Sherwin-Williams Luminous White flat interior latex and the "sugar" is Craft Smart Metallic Silver. These are mixed in a 2:1 ratio; 2 parts LW (Luminous White) to 1 part CSMS (Craft Smart Metallic Silver). The LW is available from Sherwin-Williams stores and the CSMS is available from Michael's arts & crafts stores; and only Michael's. In the post following this one I will describe how those not having access to the above ingredients can possibly substitute their own locally available materials.

Why use Luminous White? Because I have almost a gallon of the stuff that I have no other use for!

The CSMS is a reflective ingredient that I am using to make an N7 mix that is showing great promise, but that's for another thread. I should also add here that while I don't know what material is used to make the CSMS sparkle, it doesn't show a prismatic effect like all of the mica-based silver paints I have tried do. No rainbows from CSMS, even when used full strength. In this regard, it acts a lot like aluminum flakes, but it isn't near as "darkening" when added to a mix.

CSMS is also inexpensive; it's $1 for 4 ounces, $2 for 8 ounces and $4 for 16 ounces. That puts it at $8 per quart, which is cheaper than most house paints.

It is my hope that others will continue with adaptations to this original mix using different white paints and seeing how they work out. I strongly suggest not deviating from the use of the CSMS, unless absolutely necessary, since that could really throw off the color and reflectiveness of the mix.

The first photo is of a bottle of CSMS so you know what to look for at Michael's.


Now some microscope pics for those that care about such things. As with most microscope shots, the color is not correct.
C&S at 60x


C&S at 200x (this pic displays an area about 1/32 inch wide)


A Spectral Chart of Cream&Sugar. Note that the fancy name isn't used in the chart. This mix has not been color-corrected to make it neutral, it is a simple two-part mix. Of special note is that the L* value in the top-left of the chart is 90.31, this equates to a Munsell Gray of N9; a pure white would be 100 or N10. The a* and b* values are under 1.0 (+ or - doesn't matter) so the mix is considered neutral.


Since C&S will be compared to a Kilz2 panel, I have included a Spectral Chart of my batch of Kliz2 as well. you can see that Kilz2 is brighter than C&S with a L* value of 92.29, the other values show my batch of Kilz2 wasn't neutral (but close enough for gov'ment work ).


Now some panel photos.

The panels are, from left to right, Kilz2, C&S, Black Widow BB/AAA 4:1 and BW WM/HE558 5:1. Only the left two panels are of true interest to us in this thead. I used the BW panels to hide most of the wall which can still be seen in place of a 5th panel. I placed an "X" there with masking tape, kindly ignore this "panel".

Panels under room light with camera auto-white-balancing.


Panels under projector light using a 100% white image, head on.


Color Bars, head on.


White image at 45 degrees.


Color Bars at 45 degrees.


Color Bars at about 170 degrees. Sorry, I was in a hurry and forgot to take a white image at this angle.


While I don't have the photos to prove it, the C&S panel had slightly deeper blacks than the Kilz2 panel. Of course, they were much lighter than the BW panels, but we're not counting those this time. I didn't have the disk that contained the gray-scale photo I use, so I had to make do with what I had.

All-in-all, I think that C&S has similar whites to the Kilz2 panel while being a slightly darker panel. Also, the C&S was more neutral, which does make a difference if you can't adjust your PJ's R, G and B channels independently (I can't).

There you have it. I hope someone can make use of this info.

[Harpmaker]

For those in other countries that don't have access to Craft Smart Metallic Silver. This post is for you!

While it has been proven that the particular paint used as the base for a reflective mix does matter, I am in hopes that most flat white paints can be substituted for the Sherwin-Williams Luminous White I used. Time will tell.

Substituting another metallic silver paint for CSMS will be more difficult, but I hope not impossible. I would suggest going to your local arts and crafts store and purchasing a small bottle of every water-based metallic silver paint you can find. Put a drop or two of each of these on some white cardboard and spread them around a bit (I find that blowing on the paint is better than smearing it with a finger) being sure to label them so you know what's what; when the samples are dry, look at them under a bright light at an angle such that you see the reflectiveness of the silver particles. Look for any prismatic effect where the sparkles are all the colors of the rainbow. This effect is undesirable. If you can't find a paint that doesn't have this prismatic effect, well... you gotta do what you gotta do. Try one anyway and see what happens.

If you have to use a silver paint other than CSMS you will have to experiment with the amount used. Start adding drops of the substitute silver paint into an ounce (or half ounce) of whatever white paint you are using until you reach the shade of gray you are after. Make a sample of this mix and see what it looks like dry and under a bright light. You should be able to see the sparkles in the mix.

If you find a mix that works for you please be sure to post it on the forum!

Good Luck!

[mechman]

The elusive N9 we were never able to achieve with Black Widow! Good stuff Harp! I hope to putz with it some day! If I ever get my gumption back!

[Prof.]

That's very interesting Harp...
I find it quite incredible that such a high concentration of silver added to the white, can still appear quite white, when compared to the Kilz2..

I can barely distinguish between the two in the colour band test, except for a very slight darkening of some of the colours..and the whites look to be almost identical..

The other amazing thing is that the viewing cone doesn't appear to be reduced at all..
That is some amazing silver you have there..

We do have several brands of Craft Silver down here and I have seen one of the brands with those foreign languages on the bottle..Whether that means anything or not, I don't know, but it could be possibly a similar type of silver..

Hmm...decisions..decisions!!

[Harpmaker]

Prof. wrote:

That's very interesting Harp...
I find it quite incredible that such a high concentration of silver added to the white, can still appear quite white, when compared to the Kilz2..

I can barely distinguish between the two in the colour band test, except for a very slight darkening of some of the colours..and the whites look to be almost identical..

The other amazing thing is that the viewing cone doesn't appear to be reduced at all..
That is some amazing silver you have there..

The relatively high ratio of 1 part CSMS to 2 parts LW, and the resulting mix being so light, should tell you that CSMS is NOT a direct replacement for AAA or HE558; not that you said it was Prof. In fact I found that to match the gray level of the BW BB/AAA 4:1 mix using LW and CSMS I had to reverse the order of the paints! 4 parts silver to 1 part white; that comes out to 80% of the mix being silver! At that concentration, the CSMS exhibited a glossy sheen as well, and hot-spotted; which is something the C&S mix does NOT do.

I'm not sure how much the LW is hiding the silver, but even though I currently have no personal interest in such a light mix I'm going to pick up some of the Valspar enamel paint that mech uses and make a C&S mix with it to see if more reflective flakes are visible.

There doesn't seem to be any viewing cone with C&S, but yet the reflective agent does seem to lighten it to around the Kilz2 white level.

If I had a low-lumen PJ, or was happy with a white screen but wanted more pop in my colors, I would give C&S a try.

I want to stress that even though C&S ISN'T a Black Widow mix, it does share the simplicity of those mixes. That isn't an accident.

We do have several brands of Craft Silver down here and I have seen one of the brands with those foreign languages on the bottle..Whether that means anything or not, I don't know, but it could be possibly a similar type of silver..

If they're not overly expensive, I would get small bottles of them and see if they have any prismatic effect. Who knows, you might luck out!

Hmm...decisions..decisions!!

Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't mean to "push" C&S, but it could be the simpler solution for you; and even if it doesn't work out, the testing of your local silver paints would serve you well in your other screen paint endeavors.

[tweakophyte]

The white on the BW seems so grey in these shots. Is that because the PJ is calibrated for the white? How would the shots look if you calibrated for the BW?

Thanks,

PS Have you tried rolling your C&S?

[tonyvdb]

I used a very similar paint mix here although my screen shots seem to be missing (must have something to do with the old screen shots program going bust on here) But am very happy the results. It was also a 2 to 1 mix.

[mechman]

tweakophyte wrote:

The white on the BW seems so grey in these shots. Is that because the PJ is calibrated for the white? How would the shots look if you calibrated for the BW?

Thanks,

PS Have you tried rolling your C&S?

Comparing whites and blacks on dark/light grays is always moot. Blacks look much better on the darker. Whites look much better on the lighter. Darks perform much better in ambient light... you get the idea.

So, the next logical step would be for Don to test this against True Value Winter Mist in flat, matte, and satin. Then get some of the Craft Mart base only - no silver - and add the proper ratios to a flat paint for comparison. And when he's done with that, go get some stucco and siding paint cause I hear it's the bomb! Don't forget computerized still images! Do not do comparisons showing actual content!

Don - that was all tongue in cheek! If I were you I'd keep this one here! Of course, they're probably on their sixth different twisted avenue for ambiguity/ double entendre! You may just want to say it's the 3rd best option for a N9 screen! OK! I'm done poking fun!

[Harpmaker]

tonyvdb wrote:

I used a very similar paint mix here although my screen shots seem to be missing (must have something to do with the old screen shots program going bust on here) But am very happy the results. It was also a 2 to 1 mix.

Hi Tony!

To be honest, I forgot you did this; maybe my subconscious didn't. I now remember reading your thread with interest. It would be great if you could re-post your photos. I can recommend photobucket.com as a hosting site, it's very intuitive and easy to use.

I want to be clear that I'm not proclaiming C&S to be some incredible new invention, it's just a simple mix of white and silver paints. What makes CSMS different than the other silver paints I have tried is it shows no prismatic effect.

Tony's results have piqued my curiosity. I think I'll make up some sample chits using several other silver paints and see what comes up. I won't be using the Behr SM since it is only available in quart containers at around $20 each; too rich for my blood just to experiment with.

[Harpmaker]

tweakophyte wrote:

The white on the BW seems so grey in these shots. Is that because the PJ is calibrated for the white? How would the shots look if you calibrated for the BW?

Thanks,

PS Have you tried rolling your C&S?

Actually, the calibration on my PJ is almost non-existent, that is one reason screen neutrality is so important to me. That said, I guess you could say my PJ is "calibrated" (brightness and contrast) for gray screens. With the simple white and color bar images I used I don't think PJ calibration matters too much; but I could be wrong.

Mech's answer is spot-on. You can't compare white and gray screens side-by-side for performance. I almost didn't put the BW panels in the C&S shots, but I wanted to show how "white" C&S was compared to gray screens as well as a white panel (I also wanted to hide most of that wall ).

I see no reason C&S couldn't be rolled, but I have never done it. Paint rollers and I have a mutual understanding, I leave them alone and they leave me alone.

[Harpmaker]

mechman wrote:

Don - that was all tongue in cheek! If I were you I'd keep this one here!

I hear ya dude!

I might share C&S at LumenLab since that is the crowd a paint like this is designed for.


Again folks, the key thing about C&S is simplicity, availability of ingredients and ease of application. Also, it does seem to work fairly well.

[muzz]

Yeah Don, looks like the LL crowd would be digging that.

Keep up the good work bud,

m

[mechman]

Harpmaker wrote:

I hear ya dude!

I might share C&S at LumenLab since that is the crowd a paint like this is designed for.


Again folks, the key thing about C&S is simplicity, availability of ingredients and ease of application. Also, it does seem to work fairly well.

Simplicity is something that escapes people. Simplicity is the key to all of this! Well, that and neutrality. These are the mantras of DIY screens! I am going to add this to my list though Harp! I'll probably get to it around October!

[tweakophyte]

Is this paint Sherwin-Williams Luminous White flat interior latex the one the you guys consider the "best white"?

This looks like a good mix. To be honest, I am chicken to start so "dark" with the BW. I may need to paint some panels with a basic grey and see it in person before venturing out. (Of course, I need to figure out how to float my screen... soon.)

[mechman]

tweakophyte wrote:

Is this paint Sherwin-Williams Luminous White flat interior latex the one the you guys consider the "best white"?

I don't think there's been much testing of whites. Most whites lack blue. And yet white is very forgiving as a screen when it comes to neutrality. I do intend to testing Smokey's Dulux White which has the best spectrum of any white I've ever seen. It's just a matter of whenever I get near the store again.

[Harpmaker]

tweakophyte wrote:

Is this paint Sherwin-Williams Luminous White flat interior latex the one the you guys consider the "best white"?

I only used the SW LW because I have a lot of it and for no other reason.
I honestly doubt it is the "best" white paint to make a C&S mix because it does tend to hide things that are put in it. Just for grins I did a little test where I put silver glitter in LW, it was amazing to me that NONE of the glitter glittered! Every flake of glitter was as white as a snowflake. How the itty bitty flakes in CSMS are fighting their way to the surface is a mystery to me.

While I have yet to try it, I would think that the base mech used for BW BB/AAA (Valspar int. flat latex enamel) would work better. I just got some yesterday, but haven't done anything with it yet. Of course, I got a quart that is untinted.

This looks like a good mix. To be honest, I am chicken to start so "dark" with the BW. I may need to paint some panels with a basic grey and see it in person before venturing out. (Of course, I need to figure out how to float my screen... soon.)

ALWAYS make test panels before you paint your real screen.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but one of the advantages of C&S is that it is inexpensive, and easy to mix because the ingredients are easy to find. Simply add a 16 ounce bottle of CSMS to a quart of white paint, stir, and your done; with a financial outlay of around $14 plus tax.

Now that I think of it, my presented C&S formula isn't inexpensive because it used LW, which is only sold in gallons for around $30. Looks like I will have to test the Valspar enamel after all so I can show a truly inexpensive mix.

[Prof.]

Harpmaker wrote:

Look at them under a bright light at an angle such that you see the reflectiveness of the silver particles. Look for any prismatic effect where the sparkles are all the colors of the rainbow.

Harp...How predominant are these colour sparkles, if there's mica in the paint? Can you see them clearly?

I've just bought my first sample of Silver Metallic Acrylic Craft paint and applied some to a piece of white board..
Looking at it on an angle in the sunlight, I can't see any colour sparkles at all..just tiny little sparkles that you have to look really hard to see..

Does this mean that I've found a suitable one straight off!!?..Also in some lights, you can barely see the difference between the silver and the white card!!

[Harpmaker]

Prof. wrote:

Harp...How predominant are these colour sparkles, if there's mica in the paint? Can you see them clearly?

I've just bought my first sample of Silver Metallic Acrylic Craft paint and applied some to a piece of white board..
Looking at it on an angle in the sunlight, I can't see any colour sparkles at all..just tiny little sparkles that you have to look really hard to see..

Does this mean that I've found a suitable one straight off!!?..Also in some lights, you can barely see the difference between the silver and the white card!!

It sounds like you may have hit the jackpot!

Yes, in direct sunlight, any prismatic refraction caused by mica particles should almost jump up and slap your eyeball. To me, the most prominent colors are magenta and green. It also helps to be about 8 inches or less away from the sample and have it tilted so that you are getting the maximum reflective brightness.

Please see my next post.

[Harpmaker]

When selecting a white paint to be used as the base for a C&S mix, look for