Quinacridone Magenta Pigment

Description

Quinacridone Magenta (PR122) is a handmade single pigment quinacridone magenta. It produces a vivid, cool magenta with a distinct blue leaning undertone and a richly saturated masstone. Compared to traditional rose and crimson pigments, this color is cleaner, higher in chroma, and more luminous, yet still capable of very subtle, transparent layers.

In use, Quinacridone Magenta gives a brilliant, transparent magenta ideal for florals, sunsets, glazing on skin tones, luminous shadows, and high chroma accents in both landscape and abstract work. It has strong tinting strength with a transparent to semi-transparent character, making it excellent for glazing, layered washes, and optical color mixing. It mixes beautifully with yellows to create radiant reds and warm oranges, with blues and blue violets for intense violets and deep wine tones, and with earth colors for refined, rose tinged neutrals and shadow colors that stay clear rather than muddy.

This quinacridone pigment is highly lightfast, chemically stable, and compatible with a wide range of binders and mediums. In artist's colors it serves as an ideal primary magenta for modern mixing palettes, providing both a brilliant statement color and a versatile mixer for cool reds, violets, and nuanced shadows.

History

The quinacridone family of pigments was developed in the mid-20th century as part of advances in organic chemistry aimed at producing colorants with exceptional clarity, chroma, and permanence. These pigments were first adopted in automotive and industrial coatings, where their resistance to light, weather, and chemicals quickly distinguished them from earlier organic reds and violets.

Quinacridone Magenta (PR122) occupies a cool, blue leaning position in the quinacridone spectrum and is widely regarded as one of the most useful primary magentas for mixing. Its combination of high chroma, transparency, and very good lightfastness made it attractive to paintmakers and artists seeking a reliable alternative to less permanent rose and magenta pigments. Today it is a staple in many professional watercolor, oil, and acrylic ranges, valued by painters who want a cool magenta that performs equally well in glazing, mixing, and long term display.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Synthetic (Organic) quinacridone pigment
Source: Organic synthesis of dimethylquinacridone
Origin: United States (1950s)
Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Lime / Fresco, Ceramic and cement applications
Lightfastness: Excellent
Opacity: Transparent to semi-transparent
Other Names: Quinacridone Magenta, Primary Magenta (PR122), Cool Magenta
Color Index Code: PR122

Health and Safety

• For art use only. Not for cosmetic, food or children's use.
• Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not eat, drink or smoke while working.
• Avoid creating or breathing dust. Work in a ventilated area and wear a NIOSH approved dust respirator (P100 or better) when handling dry pigment.
• Wear gloves and eye protection. Wash hands and work surfaces after use, and never rinse pigment into drains.
• Do not spray apply, sand or burn.
• If swallowed or if you feel unwell, contact a poison control center (U.S. 1-800-222-1222) or a doctor.
• Safety Data Sheet available on request.