** edited to CMYKW **

**** EDITED AGAIN TO FULL SPECTRUM Spraypaint because somebody said that CMYKW sounded like they were cleaning their nose out ****

********* punk critics. Changed to Full- Visible Light spectrum spraypaint ********

Spray paint comes in all different colors, but I have seen many many cans used and wasted because they were used once for some project and then stored on some obscure shelf behind the laquer, never to be used a-g-a-i-n. What the world needs is and multi-color painting solution... Introducing: The multi-color painting solution! (could not come up with any interesting name)

It can concoct any shade of color by, and here's the magic (infomercial style), it comes with 5 individually pressurized paint contains, yes, you heard right, 5! When you combine just the right amount of one or more of these 5 different paints, you get EVERY COLOR IMMAGINABLE!

Here's the secret to how this thing works! There are different dials on the top of the device that controls how much of each can of spray paint is let out when the main trigger is pressed. You want red? simple as that [psssst.], orange? just turn the dial to your desired shade or orange and [pssst. pssssst.], wow, just look at that, just like magic. Purples, teals, blacks, greys, pinks, every shade of green, you name it, this here can do it!

5 individual containers, containing CMYKW, combine to make it all happen ladies and gentlemen. Now for those who think that the color will become inconsistant because of individual can pressure, you need not worry, because the device adjusts for the different pressures, assuring you color accuracy that can't be beat.

These 5 containers can be individually bought, just like ink cartridges, but at your hardware paint department. This way, you don't have a cupboard of old spraypaints that who knows how old they are, you have one, spray can, that can do ANY COLOR YOU WANT.
-- twitch, Apr 27 2007

you can borrow this if you like. 4_20in_201_20aerosol_20sprays
[po, Apr 27 2007]

AnyColor Pen with ColorPick AnyColor_20Pen_20with_20ColorPick
CYMK ink-pen that can write in any color [xaviergisz, Apr 29 2007]

not bad..... but what happens when one of the cans runs out ? (+) for thinking behind idea.
-- xenzag, Apr 27 2007


RBG are additive colours, you're going to need a subtractive (CMYK) mixture.
-- zen_tom, Apr 27 2007


[tom]'s right, coloured inks work differently to coloured lights so you would need a CMYK can. I don't think you'd need the white... Bun though for the basic idea [+]
-- theleopard, Apr 27 2007


+ Yeah, I do have a bunch of old cans of paint. It's a nice idea, even if it wouldn't work all the time.
-- xandram, Apr 27 2007


Yes, RGB, because you don't always spray on white, therefore your white has to be supplanted by a sprayer. 5 cans, RGB, black and white.

And I mentioned, that you can buy replacement cans at the hardware store, like you do ink cartridges at officemax.
-- twitch, Apr 27 2007


OK, if you're going to use RGB, what combination of red, green and blue paint are you going to use to get yellow?

CMYK (where K in this case, is white) allows you to reproduce all the colours in paint (subtractive colour), no matter what colour surface you are painting onto, and using only 4 separate inks.
-- zen_tom, Apr 27 2007


Well then i'll use CMYK.. and I thought that K was black. Atleast that's what I think I learned... My printer uses CMYK, and the K is black.

You'll need CMYKW, the W being white because if you want to put a neon pink on a black poster-board, you can't do it without a mix of white. CMYK is for only white printing paper.
-- twitch, Apr 27 2007


Looks like it's redundant [twitch] - do the right thing.
-- xenzag, Apr 27 2007


I disagree about being redundant. the 4-in-1 can has a separate nozzle for each compartment, which wouldn't really work for this idea. The in-can mixing of the colors is essential.
-- 5th Earth, Apr 27 2007


Totally un-redundant! 4-in-1 can? it would be almost impossible to get the color accuracy as my idea proposes, the user doesn't even have to know what colors are being mixed!
-- twitch, Apr 28 2007


The problem with this is the same as with colour printers, when one colour runs out you need to change the whole cartridge (except more expensive printers).

the reason there are so many colours is the same as Pantone colours in printing, you can't make some colours from CMYK, gold for example.
-- marklar, Apr 28 2007


isnt' gold just a yellow color? it's the specularity that makes the difference i thought.
-- twitch, Apr 29 2007


It's not RYB either. See above. However, whatever colours you combine, I don't think you could ever accurately reproduce all colours that are available by purpose designed paints. You could get close, but not perfect.
-- Ling, Apr 29 2007


How close could you come though? If you were painting a whole wall and wanted a specific color, you would just go to the store and have them mix you the color, but this is not for volume painting, this is for touch ups, artwork, misc. projects.
-- twitch, Apr 29 2007


[marked-for-deletion] redundant. how close to another idea for redundancy is a fine line but I've called it.
-- po, Apr 29 2007


[twitch], I think it's because certain compounds only absorb certain colours of light in specific bands. Those bands cannot be accurately reproduced using a combination of other compounds.
-- Ling, Apr 30 2007


[po], what's so redundant about it? there are many ideas of having 4-in-1 cans, and even if my idea uses this, which is redundant, doesn't mean that it is the total of my idea. It is the mixing mechanism which also compensates for differing can pressures which is the real magic. As well as the purely mechanical genius of a color selector. THIS implementation, i have not seen on HB, or anywhere.
-- twitch, Apr 30 2007


//many ideas of having 4-in-1 cans// where?
-- po, Apr 30 2007


I've got a can of 3-in-1
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Apr 30 2007


I heard that! ;)
-- po, Apr 30 2007


Disagree with your [mfd], [po] dear. The 4-in-1 can you cite doesn't actually put forward the idea of mixing them to get the whole gamut.

As I understand it, CMYK will allow you to get almost any hue, but maybe not to full saturation - which is why the really expensive photo printers have more than 4 ink cartridges. Most inkjet printers will give you a chart, showing just what colours in the human-visible spectrum they will reach.

Bun anyway - I think this is a great idea. It would make shading and graduating interesting - perhaps they could be automated processes!
-- moomintroll, Apr 30 2007


I know what you're saying [moomie] but I really think paint mixing to this degree would be impossible in a spray can. can you imagine the clogging?
-- po, Apr 30 2007


No, i can't imagine the clogging, because those small things can be simply mitigated. If i had to solve every little problem within my idea that would take pages.
-- twitch, Apr 30 2007


I liked the old title. CMYKW sounds like clearing my sinuses. Actually that is more of a CMYKWUUUUH.
-- bungston, Apr 30 2007


just because you can't imagine it, doesn't mean the problem does not exist.
-- po, Apr 30 2007


I should have said, I can't imagine clogging being a large problem. I've worked with spraying systems and cleaning them is not a difficult task, for those who know how.
-- twitch, May 01 2007


Yes, best change the name again [Twitch], before your idea loses credibility.
-- theleopard, May 01 2007


SOMEBODY's going to beat me over the head over some semi-relevant detail again, I KNOW IT, rather than focus on the concept. DON"T BE J.
-- twitch, May 01 2007


When you finally come to use this spray can, [twitch], [Ian Tindale] will be the one who walks past just as you're cleaning up and says 'You missed a bit!'.
-- pertinax, May 01 2007


Strictly speaking of course, white is not a colour in the spectrum.
-- hippo, May 01 2007


It still claims to produce any colour imaginable but there is yet to be any explanation on how it will produce gold, or silver, or some other shine finished colour. Perhaps a matte/shine cartridge is in order to produce these effects.

Would mean a change of name though...
-- theleopard, May 01 2007


OK, so you start with a base and add the appropriate pigments. You've now got your color.

Add an extra can to determine finish quality. Matte? Satin? Semigloss? Gloss?

How about metallics? Flake size? Flake material?

How about irridescents? Flake size? Flake thickness? Flake material?

How about textured paints?
-- Freefall, May 01 2007


[Freefall], then you can use the 28 cans- in-1 sprayer. It's perfect for you. Gold is not just a color, it contains a specularity value, like silver. It's the shimmer, not the color that identifies gold.
-- twitch, May 01 2007


Wouldn't it be simpler to have transparent LCD glasses? With some inertial navigation, GPS and suitable software, you could map whatever colour scheme you liked onto the world around you. You could even have animated or furry virtual paints.

Resolution would not need to be high - the brain doesn't map colour very closely.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 01 2007


[admin: po, I see where you're coming from with the MFD, but I'm not deleting the post - I think it's different enough in construction, use, and result.]
-- jutta, Jun 10 2007


Not just different in construction, but the whole concept! The simplicity of turning a dial to a desired color, and another dial for brighness/darkness... I have not seen these concepts anywhere on HB.
-- twitch, Jun 10 2007



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