Darmstadt – Special effects are becoming increasingly important when it comes to attractively designed printed products. So far, Merck KGaA has been addressing this need with its Colorstream range of pigments, which provide refined color travel effects that vary depending on the viewing angle. The two new pigments Colorstream T10-08 Royal Twinkle and Colorstream T10-07 Luxury Twinkle now offer an additional feature. Thanks to a particle size of up to 200 μm, both pigments impart a brilliant glitter. With calcium aluminum borosilicate used for the first time as the substrate in Colorstream, the two new pigments appear virtually transparent depending on the viewing angle. This permits an attractive colorful interplay of the pigments with the respective base color.

The color-changing effect of Colorstream Luxury Twinkle ranges from opulent gold to a rich silver. Colorstream Royal Twinkle shows a red-gold-bronze color travel effect; complemented in each case by an intense twinkle.

The new Colorstream pigments can be used in nearly all printing processes to create new design possibilities for printed products. Since they meet FDA requirements, they are suitable for use in food and cosmetic packaging as well as in toys. Colorstream pigments can also be used for highly sparkling effects in interior design applications, for example in innovative wallpaper patterns.