CTU
CTU — Universal transparent dyes (stain concentrates)
Concentrated transparent wood dyes on a universal base: cut with S10/S12/S90 solvent or deionised water. They give very bright, saturated and also very dark tones while keeping the grain fully visible. No film — must be sealed and lacquered once dry. Pair well with other stain series for depth of colour.
- staining furniture in any timber, veneer and solid
- colouring over a primer (solvent cut only)
- toning lacquer at 1–5 % to even out colour
- layering with other stain series for depth
- touch-up and restoration (retouch markers CTU21–30; the restoration leaflet lists CTU21–26)
- 'Stone' special effect (spattered over enamel)
Mix calculator
Ask about CTU
Answers are based on the CTU data and the products it mixes with.
Mixing matrix
- % by weight: 500–1000 %official% by volume: 500–1000 %official
Standard spray reduction (official page). Solvent cut is mandatory when the dye goes over a primer/sealer.
S10 = fast (fine-pored woods: pine, birch), S12 = medium (medium-pored), S90 = slow (oak, ash, chestnut — drives colour into the pores). More thinner = lighter, more see-through tone.
- WATERThinner% by weight: 500–1000 %official% by volume: 500–1000 %official
Water cut — on bare wood only, when you want maximum grain definition (water is the 'slowest' thinner).
Deionised water only, or you get colour-stability problems. Never water-cut over a primer. Water raises the grain — knock it back after the first sealer coat, not on the dye.
- CFS1Additive% by weight: 0–200 %official% by volume: 0–200 %official
Binder for the solvent-cut stain (S10/S12/S90): locks the dye down so the primer drags/bleeds it less, and it lays down more evenly.
- CFH1Additive% by weight: 0–200 %official% by volume: 0–200 %official
Binder for the water cut.
2025–2026 catalogue (weight vs volume not stated).
- % by weight: 500–1000 %catalog
2022 catalogue: CTU described as a solvent-based transparent dye; water not mentioned.
- CFS1Additive% by weight: 0–200 %catalog
2022 catalogue: CFS1 only.
- % by weight: 500–2000 %dealer
Dealer's wider range — up to 2000 % for very pale washes. Thinners may be blended.
Beyond the official 1000 % — check evenness on a test panel.
- % by weight: «1/5» — ≈400–500 (1 part concentrate to 4–5 parts thinner; dealer wording does not say whether 1/5 is part-to-part or part-of-total) %dealer
'1 to 5' for a full-strength shade; more thinner for a softer one.
500 ml of concentrate covers 35 m² and up.
'Raised-panel doors (PU)' schedule: 80–100 g/m², 5 min at 20–25 °C, then PTS20 + C25 + S50 PU primer.
'Mouldings and frames (UV)' schedule: 80 g/m², 5 min at 25–30 °C, then VTS40041 UV primer.
- CTU → lacquerAdditive% by weight: 1–5 %official
Toning the lacquer: 1–5 % into the lacquer for a more even overall colour (evens out blotchy staining).
Compatibility with specific Technocolor lacquers isn't spelled out; test first, especially in waterborne lacquers.
- CTU1 / CTU2 / CTU3 / CTU8 / CTU9 / CTU21 / CTU22 / CTU23 / CTU24 / CTU25 / CTU26 / CTU27 / CTU28 / CTU29 / CTU30Additive% by weight: any ratio %dealer
All CTU concentrates intermix in any ratio to hit a target shade.
| Role | Material | % by weight | % by volume | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thinner | S10 / S12 / S90 | 500–1000 %official | 500–1000 %official | Standard spray reduction (official page). Solvent cut is mandatory when the dye goes over a primer/sealer.S10 = fast (fine-pored woods: pine, birch), S12 = medium (medium-pored), S90 = slow (oak, ash, chestnut — drives colour into the pores). More thinner = lighter, more see-through tone. |
| Thinner | WATER | 500–1000 %official | 500–1000 %official | Water cut — on bare wood only, when you want maximum grain definition (water is the 'slowest' thinner).Deionised water only, or you get colour-stability problems. Never water-cut over a primer. Water raises the grain — knock it back after the first sealer coat, not on the dye. |
| Additive | CFS1 | 0–200 %official | 0–200 %official | Binder for the solvent-cut stain (S10/S12/S90): locks the dye down so the primer drags/bleeds it less, and it lays down more evenly. |
| Additive | CFH1 | 0–200 %official | 0–200 %official | Binder for the water cut. |
| Thinner | S10 / S12 / S90 | — | — | 2025–2026 catalogue (weight vs volume not stated). |
| Thinner | S10 / S90 | 500–1000 %catalog | — | 2022 catalogue: CTU described as a solvent-based transparent dye; water not mentioned. |
| Additive | CFS1 | 0–200 %catalog | — | 2022 catalogue: CFS1 only. |
| Thinner | S10 / S90 / WATER | 500–2000 %dealer | — | Dealer's wider range — up to 2000 % for very pale washes. Thinners may be blended.Beyond the official 1000 % — check evenness on a test panel. |
| Thinner | S10 / S12 / S90 / WATER | «1/5» — ≈400–500 (1 part concentrate to 4–5 parts thinner; dealer wording does not say whether 1/5 is part-to-part or part-of-total) %dealer | — | '1 to 5' for a full-strength shade; more thinner for a softer one.500 ml of concentrate covers 35 m² and up. |
| Additive | CFS1 / S12 | — | — | 'Raised-panel doors (PU)' schedule: 80–100 g/m², 5 min at 20–25 °C, then PTS20 + C25 + S50 PU primer. |
| Additive | CFS1 / S12 | — | — | 'Mouldings and frames (UV)' schedule: 80 g/m², 5 min at 25–30 °C, then VTS40041 UV primer. |
| Additive | CTU → lacquer | 1–5 %official | — | Toning the lacquer: 1–5 % into the lacquer for a more even overall colour (evens out blotchy staining).Compatibility with specific Technocolor lacquers isn't spelled out; test first, especially in waterborne lacquers. |
| Additive | CTU1 / CTU2 / CTU3 / CTU8 / CTU9 / CTU21 / CTU22 / CTU23 / CTU24 / CTU25 / CTU26 / CTU27 / CTU28 / CTU29 / CTU30 | any ratio %dealer | — | All CTU concentrates intermix in any ratio to hit a target shade. |
Percentages are per 100 parts of component A.
Characteristics
- Gloss
- n/a (no film)recommended
- Pot life
- n/a — 1K, no hardenerrecommended
- Drying · Full cure
- 2 hdealer
- Drying · Sand or stack
- 5 min before primer (CFS1 + S12 mix, 20–30 °C)schedule
- Drying · Touch-dry
- 5–15 minrecommended
- Drying · Conditions
- 20 °C
- Thixotropy
- norecommended
Colours
- CTU1 · yellow
- CTU2 · orange
- CTU3 · red
- CTU8 · blue
- CTU9 · black
- CTU21 · classic walnut
- CTU22 · light walnut
- CTU23 · antique walnut
- CTU24 · cherry
- CTU25 · mahogany
- CTU26 · wenge
- CTU27 · olive
- CTU28 · rosewood (palisander)
- CTU29 · merbau
- CTU30 · makore
Application
HVLP
- Consumption
- 80–100 g/m²official
- Nozzle
- 1–1.3 mmrecommended
- Pressure · air
- 1.5–2 bar at gun inlet (trigger pulled)recommended
- Spray viscosity
- as reduced: water-thin, below the useful range of a DIN4 cup (≈10 s or less) s DIN4recommended
- Coats
- 1 even wet coat; optional 2nd light pass to deepen tonerecommended
- Flash-off
- 5 min at 20–25 °C (CFS1 + S12 mix) before PU primerschedule
- Recoat
- full dry 2 h at 20 °Cdealer
- Sanding between coats
- do not sand the dye; denib after the first sealer/primer coatrecommended
- Gun setup
- fan fully open, 15–20 cm, 50 % overlap, keep the part wet-looking but never running; spray end grain/profiles firstrecommended
Primary method (officially: spray 80–100 g/m²). S90 buys open time on big panels and open-pored timber.
Conventional spray
- Consumption
- 80–100 g/m²official
- Nozzle
- 1.2–1.4 mmrecommended
- Pressure · air
- 2.5–3 bar at gun inletrecommended
Conventional air spray — same as HVLP but more overspray and waste.
Airmix (air-assisted airless)
- Consumption
- 80–100 g/m²official
- Nozzle
- 0.18–0.23 mm (tip 07–09 thou, 20–40° fan)recommended
- Pressure · fluid
- 8–15 barrecommended
- Pressure · air
- 1–1.5 barrecommended
Production lines only; not stated by Technocolor for CTU but standard for spraying dyes.
Conventional spray
- Nozzle
- 1.4–1.8 mmrecommended
- Pressure · air
- minimal (drops / spatter)catalog
'Stone' special effect (jasper, grey jasper, granite, malachite, lapis lazuli): over PPS20 primer + RAL enamel, CTU/CQS is spattered on with the gun at minimal pressure, then S10 spattered the same way, finished with ATL200 clear.
Process and compatibility
- Substrate preparation
- plane sanding P150 → P180 → P220; profiles K60–K80 mats (PU doors) / K60–K80 brushes (UV mouldings)schedule
- Goes over
- bare wood (veneer, solid) / primer/sealer — solvent cut only
- Goes under
- PTS20 / VTS40041 / CTU-toned lacquer / ATL200 (special effect) / any Technocolor primer/lacquer — mandatory protective topcoat
- Sanding
- after primer: P240–P320 flats, K120 profiles (PU); K120–K150 brushes (UV)schedule
- Temperature and humidity
- dye dried at 20–25 °C (PU line) / 25–30 °C (UV line)schedule
- Don'ts
- don't water-cut when going over a primer
- don't use tap water — deionised only
- don't leave it unfinished: the dye is not a protective coat
- don't sand the dye coat — you'll cut through the colour
- don't flood it: over-wetting gives blotches and runs
Storage
- Packaging
- 1 и 5 (кг для CTU1–9; л для CTU21–30 — у CTU27–30 заголовок «кг», но цены «/ л.»)dealer
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).
- official pages ×15 (properties, spray 80–100 g/m², S10/S12/S90/water 500–1000 % w/v, CFS1/CFH1 0–200 % w/v, 1–5 % into lacquer)
- t-colormarket dealer pages ×15: description, deionised water note, intermix any ratio, full dry 2 h @20 °C (CTU21–30), 1:5 for saturated tone, 500 ml ≥35 m², packaging 1/5, CTU21–26 reformulation batches; CFH1/CFS1 0–200 % on CTU1–9 only; pack unit kg for CTU1–9, L for CTU21–30
- baget-k dealer: S10/S90/water 500–2000 %, thinner choice by wood pore size
- ndom31 dealer: confirms full dry 2 h @20 °C, 5 L pack
- catalog 2022: 'solvent-based', S10/S90 500–1000 %, CFS1 0–200 %, base colours incl. CTU10 white
- schedule: CTU 100 / CFS1 200 / S12 500, 80–100 g/m², 5 min 20–25 °C
- schedule: CTU 100 / CFS1 150 / S12 500, 80 g/m², 5 min 25–30 °C
- methods page (airmix 1–2 bar air, dyes via dip/flow)
Not covered by the sources
- solids % of concentrate
- viscosity of concentrate
- density of concentrate
- lightfastness rating
- dust-free / touch dry time (only full dry 2 h at 20 °C, dealer)
- drying time on CTU1–CTU9 dealer pages (not stated)
- shelf life and storage temperature
- SDS / real TDS PDF for CTU — none found
- CFS1 vs CFH1 solvent/water assignment is inferred (dealer label ambiguous)
- official nozzle/pressure values (all derived)
- CTU10 white (2022 catalogue) — status unknown
- dealer CTU27–30 pages list only S10/S12 in the thinner code column (official: S10/S12/S90/water)
- dealer CTU21–30 pages omit the CFS1/CFH1 binder row that CTU1–9 and the official pages carry