CTS3
CTS3 Solvent-based red tinting dye for adding to lacquer
Clear, bright solvent-borne red dye for tinting lacquers. Added to PU, acrylic and nitrocellulose lacquers at 0.5–1 % to even out the colour of the finish and add brightness. Not a stand-alone wood stain — it only works inside a lacquer (tinted lacquer / toner coat).
- Tinting the topcoat (PU, acrylic, NC) to even out the colour of a piece
- Toning the lacquer in open-pore oak finishes over stain and patina
- Shade correction — mixes with the other CTS colours (yellow, orange, brown, black)
Ask about CTS3
Answers are based on the CTS3 data and the products it mixes with.
Mixing matrix
- PU lacquers / acrylic lacquers / NC lacquersAdditive% by weight: 0.5–1 %dealer
Dealer's general recommendation. Add the dye just before use.
'Add the dye just before use' — i.e. into the working mix, not into stock lacquer for storage.
PU topcoat in the open-pore schedule (page 'beech-veneered worktops (PU)'); 150 g/m², dry 1.5 h at 30–35 °C.
The schedule says just 'CTS' with no colour number — CTS3 is only one possible choice. The page's own heading reads 'Open-pore oak kitchen fronts (acrylic)' — mislabelled on the site.
Acrylic topcoat over CGS stain and CQS patina, open-pore oak kitchen fronts; 150 g/m², dry 1.5 h at 30–35 °C.
CTS colour not specified in the schedule.
- S70Thinner
Thinner for the PTL61 + CTS working mix.
- S80Thinner
Thinner for the ATL20 + CTS working mix.
- C61Hardener
Hardener for the host lacquer PTL61.
- AC40Hardener
Hardener for the host lacquer ATL20 (written 'C40' in the schedule; product cards usually say AC40).
| Role | Material | % by weight | % by volume | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additive | PU lacquers / acrylic lacquers / NC lacquers | 0.5–1 %dealer | — | Dealer's general recommendation. Add the dye just before use.'Add the dye just before use' — i.e. into the working mix, not into stock lacquer for storage. |
| Additive | PTL61 / C61 / S70 | — | — | PU topcoat in the open-pore schedule (page 'beech-veneered worktops (PU)'); 150 g/m², dry 1.5 h at 30–35 °C.The schedule says just 'CTS' with no colour number — CTS3 is only one possible choice. The page's own heading reads 'Open-pore oak kitchen fronts (acrylic)' — mislabelled on the site. |
| Additive | ATL20 / AC40 / S80 | — | — | Acrylic topcoat over CGS stain and CQS patina, open-pore oak kitchen fronts; 150 g/m², dry 1.5 h at 30–35 °C.CTS colour not specified in the schedule. |
| Thinner | S70 | — | — | Thinner for the PTL61 + CTS working mix. |
| Thinner | S80 | — | — | Thinner for the ATL20 + CTS working mix. |
| Hardener | C61 | — | — | Hardener for the host lacquer PTL61. |
| Hardener | AC40 | — | — | Hardener for the host lacquer ATL20 (written 'C40' in the schedule; product cards usually say AC40). |
Percentages are per 100 parts of component A.
Characteristics
- Compatibility
- PU, NC and acrylic coatingsdealer
- Dose in lacquer %
- 0.5–1 % of lacquerdealer
- Lightfastness
- moderate — expect some fading/shift in strong daylight; not specified by Technocolorrecommended
- Drying
- does not change the drying of the host lacquer at 0.5–1 %recommended
Colours
- CTS3 · red
- CTS1 · yellow
- CTS2 · orange
- CTS4 · brown
- CTS9 · black
Application
HVLP
- Spray viscosity
- 18–22 s DIN4 (whatever the host lacquer is sprayed at)recommended
- Consumption · Default
- 150
- Consumption · Unit
- g/m² of tinted lacquer
- Coats
- 1 tinted coat, then clear if more depth neededrecommended
Keep a steady 15–20 cm distance and 50–75 % overlap: any extra film = deeper red. Do edges and profiles first, then the face in one pass. Always spray a test panel on the same species. recommended
Conventional spray
- Consumption · Default
- 150
- Consumption · Unit
- g/m²
Airmix (air-assisted airless)
- Pressure · fluid
- 20official
- Pressure · air
- 1–2official
Process and compatibility
- Substrate preparation
- n/a — goes onto a sanded primer like the host topcoat (P240–P320 in both schedules)recommended
- Sanding
- do not sand through a tinted coat; denib only lightly and only before a clear coat followsrecommended
- Temperature and humidity
- drying 30–35 °C, 1.5 h (host lacquer + CTS)schedule
- Don'ts
- Don't tint stock lacquer for storage — add only to the working mix right before spraying
- Don't exceed 1 % — dealer range is 0.5–1 %
- Don't use it neat on wood as a stain
- Don't add to waterborne lacquers (solvent-borne dye; for WB lacquers use CTH)
Storage
- Packaging
- 1 Ldealer
Safety: Solvent-borne: flammable; use in a ventilated spray booth with an organic-vapour (A2) respirator and nitrile gloves. No SDS found.
Used in finishing systems
Mixed into
ATL10 SM / ATL20 M / ATL20 SG / ATL20 SM / ATL20 UM / C61 / CTS2 / PTL61
Sources
Value tags: “official”, “dealer”, “catalog”, “schedule” are Technocolor data; “workshop” is from our own datasheets; “recommended” is our engineering estimate (hover to see the reasoning).
- dealer card: properties, application 0.5–1 % in PU/acrylic/NC lacquers, add before use, spray, 1 L pack, price
- dealer search: CTS1/2/3/4/9 colour variants with identical text
- official schedule: PTL61 100 / C61 50 / S70 30 / CTS 0.5, 150 g/m², 30–35 °C 1.5 h
- official schedule: ATL20 100 / C40 20 / S80 30 / CTS 0.5, 150 g/m², 30–35 °C 1.5 h
- application methods page (airmix 1–2 bar air, conventional ≤40 % transfer)
Not covered by the sources
- no official t-color.ru product page
- no TDS / SDS found (t-colormarket.ru card has no 'all technical characteristics' block; lakokraska31.ru, woodonline.ru, ndom31.ru searches return no CTS3 — rechecked 2026-10-05)
- solids, viscosity, density, dye concentration unknown
- whether the 0.5–1 % is by weight or volume, and of base lacquer or full mix, not stated by dealer
- lightfastness not stated (derived estimate only)
- shelf life and storage temperature unknown
- which CTS colour the official schedules intend is not stated
- weight vs volume basis of the official schedule ratios (incl. CTS 0,5 %) not stated
- airmix fluid pressure: official page gives only an upper bound (≤20 bar); no lower bound