verfbinding

Verfbinding is a term used to describe the process by which colorants—pigments or dyes—are held in place on a substrate by a binding medium, forming a continuous layer. It is central in painting, printmaking, and coatings, where the color must adhere to surfaces such as canvas, paper, wood, or metal.

In most pigments, detaching from the substrate is prevented by a film formed by the binder. The binder wets the pigment, facilitates dispersion, and, upon drying or curing, becomes a cohesive matrix that locks pigment particles together and to the substrate. Binding can involve physical adsorption, chemical interactions with pigment surfaces, and in many cases crosslinking or oxidation of the binder.

Binders vary widely. Traditional oil painting uses drying oils (linseed oil and varnish oils) to create a flexible, durable film. Egg tempera uses emulsified egg yolk; gouache and watercolor use gum arabic or dextrin; casein and beeswax have also been used. Modern paints rely on polymer emulsions (acrylics) or solvent-borne resins. In industrial coatings, verfbinding is engineered for adhesion, chemical resistance, and weathering.

Key factors include pigment-binder compatibility, particle size and charge, binder viscosity, solvent or water content, and drying or curing conditions. The choice of binder influences gloss, transparency, color strength, flexibility, and aging behavior. In conservation, verfbinding considerations guide cleaning, restoration, and varnishing, with emphasis on reversibility and stability.

Overall, verfbinding describes the essential chemistry of how color and substrate interact to produce durable, coherent color films common to art and coatings.