The ability of paint to hide or cover can also decrease as the depth of color increases. This is because less titanium dioxide pigment is used in darker colors, so the hiding power of the paint is more dependent on the colored pigments. It is obvious that, if additional coats of paint are required to achieve complete coverage of a surface, there is an increase in both the cost of the material, and the price of the labor. Some colored pigments are inherently more durable than others. Organic pigments are used to create clean, bright colors, and are best used for the interior.
Inorganic pigments create earth-tone colors and are suitable for use both inside and out.
When a color is made using organic and inorganic pigments in combination, the color changes tone during weathering as the less-durable organic pigment fades at a faster rate than the more durable inorganic pigment. Exterior paints tinted using organic pigments tend to fade at a considerably faster rate than those tinted using inorganic pigments. Only when a single organic pigment is used in deeper colors is the tendency to fade reduced. Caution is advised when selecting colors when low cost and low maintenance is an issue. In general, it is best to avoid most shades of pink, peach, salmon, yellow, orange, yellow-green, lavender, purple, and light blue for exterior use.