Abstract: An aqueous liquid colorant composition having a volatile organic content up to 50 g/l and suitable for colouring aqueous or solventborne architectural coatings and basepaints comprising based on the total weight of the composition, i) from 0 to 26% of non-volatile organic liquid having a vapour pressure up to 1.3 N/m2 at 25° C. ii) from 2 to 13% of stabilising agent iii) from 4 to 77% of colour pigment iv) from 0 to 8% of rheology modifying clay v) from 0 to 20% of extender wherein the ratio of the combined weight of iii)+iv)+v): the combined weight of i)+ii) is from 0.8 to 2.75:1 and the combined weight of the non-volatile organic liquid i) and the stabilising agent ii) is no greater than 24% and the combined weight of the rheology modifying clay iv) and the extender v) is at least 2% when the amount of colour pigment is less than 51%.

Abstract: The invention provides a tinter dosage unit comprising water borne tinter encapsulated in a water soluble pouch where the water activity of the tinter and the combined water activity and plasticizer activity of the pouch are such that the pouch remains intact in normal use.