Paints are made of finely ground solids, including binders, pigments and additives, that are suspended in a liquid carrier. Paints get their color from pigments. Metallic pigments or organic pigment synthesized from petrochemicals are used to add color. Most use powdered titanium dioxide for the primary pigment because of its superior hiding power.
Fillers increase the solids content of the formula.
Examples of these are calcium carbonate, silicas, and silicates, all of which help eliminate chalkiness and improve scrub resistance. Binders, including urethanes, alkyds, and acrylics, form a film that knits the particles of pigment together. The carrier evaporates as the paint dries, leaving the solids behind as a thin surface film that clings to the underlying surface. Both alkyd and latex paints were developed in the 1940s. Latex paints use vinyl binders and a water carrier.