19/10/2026
Reformulated Titanium White Oil Paint
For almost a century virtually all brands have included zinc oxide in their Titanium White formulations to modify the paints’ handling qualities.
But conservation research has increasingly confirmed that zinc oxide can compromise the long-term stability of oil paint.
As drying oils age, zinc can react with fatty acids to form zinc soaps, while the pigment’s crystalline structure can interfere with the cross-linking process that gives a cured oil film its strength.
These mechanisms have been associated with cracking, cleavage and delamination.
So, in 2019 Langridge decided to remove zinc oxide from our Titanium White oil paint.
Removing zinc created a problem:
Zinc had given our original Titanium White its distinctive deft, light, buttery handling.
The challenge was finding a way to replace the qualities zinc had provided.
We tested barium sulphate, calcium carbonate, other inert materials and various waxes.
None gave us the combination of handling, colour, flexibility and ageing characteristics we were looking for.
Our replacement version was pure titanium dioxide, whose natural consistency in oil is dense and more stringy than we wanted.
However, we chose this formulation as it was critical not to reduce the paints’ integrity.
Searching for the perfect formulation:
In 2022, our work with lithopone led us in a new direction.
We began testing lithopone with Titanium Dioxide to recreate the short, buttery consistency of our original Titanium White — but without zinc.
The result:
Years of research. Years of formulation and ageing tests followed, trialling paint films that artists would apply from 75 μm to 5 mm thick. Testing to investigate colour, flexibility and long-term behaviour.
Finally, we arrived at a formulation that fulfilled all our demands. Exceptionally opaque Powerful colour strength Short, buttery consistency Light under the brush Precise and controlled
Built to perform:
The result is a Titanium White made to stand the test of time and to perform beautifully in the hands of the painter.
