What about Me?
Why color is important.
Many of us in the Candle Industry spend a great deal of time selecting, sniffing and discussing fragrances because it seems to be what we intuitively feel captures the consumers attention and draws them to our products. However it will surprise many of you to know that the single most important feature that attracts consumers to a candle is it’s most obvious characteristic…it’s COLOR, which creates visual stimuli and evokes emotions in the beholder.

The advantage of color is that it can be as easy as you desire or packed full of complexity as is exhibited by many of the large Consumer Product companies who are driven by process laden complex scientific formulas. In any consumer product, packaging or advertising company the discussion of what colors to use is a key focus with a tremendous amount of analysis required in the decision process.

The large consumer products and fashion industry companies rely very heavily on Pantone, Inc. to help determine the latest trends in color. Pantone, Inc. is the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industry. They are able to identify color trends well before they arrive on the “retail scene”. These trends are extremely important to the textile, clothing, automobile and home accessory industries (the latter to which candles are a part of). It is imperative for these industries to be able to anticipate, well in advance, what color trends will evolve because of their very long lead times associated with bringing a new product to market.

A tremendous advantage, for us being a smaller company than the goliaths, is that we can react immediately to changes and trends in the marketplace and instantaneously adapt, to provide new colors, no matter what the pantone. The perfect example is our quick turn around last year in bringing the “Earth Tones” forward so our customers could meet the consumers craving for Rust Brown, Cream, Artic Blue and Olive.

Once you the candle manufacturer decide on the color for the candle, the next step is to determine how the wax will be dyed. The choices can be as follows:

Liquid Dye - In general liquid dyes are very highly concentrated products, which require that they be used in small percentages. They are most effective when used in 50 pound or greater batch sizes. They are highly cost effective and allow for easy solubility in wax and gel formulations. Due to their high concentrations it can be difficult to ensure color consistency when working in smaller batches below 50 lbs. EVO liquid dyes provide the most effectiveness, providing a pleasant, mild scent and compatiblity with all paraffin wax, soy wax, gel wax and blended waxes.

Color Blocks - These come pre-measured in ½ ounce blocks that are great for mixing in to small or large batch sizes. Each of these concentrated blocks will color between 15-20 pounds of wax. Color blocks are perfect and easy to use if you are mixing in pouring pots, turkey roasters or double boilers.

Powdered Dyes - Extremely concentrated and usage is generally reserved to candle manufacturers that are working with mixing batches of 250 pounds or greater. For example, in some instances a ¼ ounce of powdered dye can color over 100 pounds of wax. So you can imagine the problems you would experience if you tried to mix smaller batch sizes.

The advantage of using any these methods is that you can get to any shade required by increasing or decreasing the recommended usage.

As always we are committed to following the market place closely to address what “hot” colors are trending and develop them so you can provide your customers the freshness they crave in color assortment and selection.

CHANDLERS CORNER

Hi! I'm Chandler! I can help you learn how to make candles.

What are some holiday projects for groups to work on?

As we approach the holidays, groups and organizations are actively engaged in crafting activities, and so I am asked this question quite often.

In general, there are several creative group projects, which are ideal for any age group. I have listed them along with the links for previously featured projects.

In order to get the most out of a project, it is always best to engage in products that do not require the wax to be heated and ones which the participants can take the project home when completed. Some of my favorite include the following

Holiday Ornaments & Soap-on-a-Wick
November 2003

Beeswax Candle Sheets -- Fun, Easy, and Profitable
September 2003

Candle Making Made Fun...Wax Art Crystals
March 2003

We hope you enjoyed this issue of the En-Light-ener.
Thank you for your continued interest and support.
Our goal is to make this newsletter as entertaining and educational as possible.
Let us know if you have any ideas on how we can improve.

Candlewic Company
3765 Old Easton Road
Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901
 

Issue Index

June 2008 - Fall Candle Season Starts Now, Extraordinary Candle Making Project, and more...

May 2008 -- Green Candle Making, Green Candle Projects, and more...

April 2008 -- Recent Candle Industry Price Increases, Aluminum Mold Candle Project, and more...

March 2008 -- Straight Wax, Exciting New Candle Making Products, and more...

February 2008 -- Business Side of Candle Making, Ice Candle Project, and more...

January 2008 -- Basics of Blended Wax Candles, Rose Floater Candle Project, and more...

December 2007 -- 12 Days of Business, 2007 Candle Making Projects, and more...

November 2007 -- Show Time for Candle Making, Making Snow Candles, and more...

October 2007 -- Ready, Set, GO candle making, Candle Luminaries, and more...

September 2007 -- GREENING Your Product Line and Your Bottom Line…, One-Pour Candle Tins, and more...

August 2007 -- Candle Making's Center of Focus, Making Streak Candles, and more...

July 2007 -- The Latest in Candle Making Products, Votive Candle Project, and more...

June 2007 -- Setting Your Candles' Sale Price, Summer Candle Projects, and more...

May 2007 -- Determining Your Candle Making Costs, Using Extra Candle Wax, and more...

April 2007 -- Natural Wax Buzz Part 2, Layered natural candles, and more...

March 2007--Crucial details of candle making, Candle projects with no melting required, and more...

February 2007--How to choose a candle making mold, Making custom candle molds, and more...

January 2007--"Green" Candle Making, tri-color jar candle project, and more...

December 2006--Looking into the candle making future, 2006 candle projects, and more...

November 2006--Introducing...a candle making introduction, candle projects, and more...

October 2006--Prime time: candle wicks, taper candle projects, and more...

September 2006--Clearly still here:Gel candle making, one-pour tins, and more...

August 2006--Fragrance - the driving force of candle making, a new contest, and more...

July 2006--Planning your production, using granulated wax, and more...

June 2006--Our 35th Year, using aluminum candle molds, how much candle fragrance to use, and more...

May 2006--Summertime candle making, making natural lemon candles and more...

April 2006--Choose the candle wick, making tealight candles and more...

March 2006--Choose the right wick base, blending soy wax with paraffin, making palm wax candles and more...

February 2006--The roll of wax additives in a blended wax world, UV additives, making grubby candles and more...

January 2006--The secrets of soy wax candles, more ways to use candles, making soy wax container candles and more...

December 2005--Planning for the new year, announcing our new home, secrets about wicks, and more...

November 2005--Holiday candle making, ideas to sell more candles, making luminaries and more...

October 2005--Temperture issues when making candles, how to start making candles and more...

September 2005--Choose the right candle mold, ASTM safety standards, and more...

August 2005--Color and Fragrance trends, choosing the right candle making tools, and more...

July 2005--Planning for efficient production, Marketing your Candles, Making Swirl Candles, and more...

June 2005--New market trends in candle shapes and textures, Making Textured Candles, and more...

May 2005--The trends and science of candle fragrances, Making Mottled Candles, and more...

April 2005--How to select the proper candle wick, Top Colors, Making "Earthy" Chunk Candles, and more...

March 2005--Selecting the right wax Part III, Our Top Waxes, Making Floral Candles, Our History and more...

February 2005--Selecting the right wax Part II, Our Top Fragrances, Making Fruit Candles and more...

January 2005--Selecting the right wax, Using blended wax, Coloring wax, Making Layered Jar Candles and more...

December 2004--All about candle making fragrances, Making Grubby Candles and more...

November 2004--Choosing Color for your candle making, Making snowball candles and more...

October 2004--Candle Making Busy Season, Making Palm Wax Candles, Speeding Up Candle Production and more...

September 2004--Candle Wax Melters, Making Sense of your Candle Scents, Making Taper Candles and more...

August 2004--Getting Ready For The Season, Using Votive Pins To Make Votive Candles, No Melt Candle Making and more...

July 2004--Some History & What's New, Paraffin Myths, Making Golf Ball Candles and more...

June 2004--Choosing the Right Candle Wax for Your Needs, Making One-Pour Tins and more...

May 2004--Investigating New Products, Burn Testing, Making Freestanding Gel Pillars & Novelties and more...

April 2004--Candle Making Trends, Rolled Candles with Beeswax Sheets, Making Taper Candles and more...

March 2004--Color Theory & Techniques, Floating Candle Molds, Making Tealight Candles and more...

February 2004--Mold Techniques, Computers and Candlemaking, Making Easter Egg Chunk Candles and more...

January 2004--Marketing Natural Wax and Paraffin Candles, Layering Natural Wax Candles and more...

December 2003--Holiday Greetings, 2003 Year in Review, The 6 P's, Making Icicle Candles and more...

November 2003--Building Your Candle Product Line, Making Holiday Ornaments & Soap-on-a-Wick and more...

October 2003--Marketing Your Candles, Polyurethane Molds, Making Lemon Candles, and more...

September 2003--Packaging & Labeling, Essential Oils, Making Rolled Pillars with Beeswax Sheets, and more...

August 2003--Using Palm Wax, Increasing Your Profit Margins, Using Aluminum Molds, and more...

July 2003--Ultra Violet Light Absorbers, Reducing Shipping Costs, Dipping Techniques, and more...

June 2003--Choosing the Right Wick, Using a Wick Stick, Making Floater Candles, and more...

May 2003--New Products Review, Pouring Temperatures, Finishes For Your Candles, and more...

April 2003--Selecting Paraffin, Natural and “Hybrid” Waxes, Using Pillar Pins, and more...

March 2003--Selling & Marketing Candles, Making it Easier to Make Pillars, Wax Art Crystals and more...

February 2003--Pouring Temperatures, Votive Tips, Making Grubby Candles, and more...

January 2003--Candle Making Safety Tips, Instruction Labels, What To Do With Extra Wax and more...

December 2002--Polycarbonate Molds, Making Clear Snowball Candles, and more...

November 2002--Candle Making as a Second Language, The Story of Chandler, Natural F Wax, and more...

October 2002--Candle Making as a Second Language, Projects Review and more...

September 2002--Accessorizing Your Manufacturing, Making Clear Pillar Candles, and more...

July/August 2002--Making Cinnamon Roll Candles, Clear Pillar Base, New Products, and more...

May/June 2002--Back to Basics, Making F Wax Candles, and more...

April 2002--Making Streaked Candles, Wax 101 part 3: Natural Wax, and more...

March 2002--Making Crackled Candles, Wax 101 part 2: Gel Wax, and more...

February 2002--Making Easter Egg Candles, Wax 101: An Overview, and more...

January 2002 --Review of 2001, Frosty Snowman Candles, New Products, Safety Info and more...

December 2001--Botanical candles, making white candles white and more...

November 2001--Chunk candles, clearance sale!, candlemaking books and more...

October 2001--The new candle market, choosing gels, votive wicks and more...

August 2001--New products, new location , new web site and more...

July 2001--Selling & Marketing Candles (part 3), Candle Burn Times and more...

June 2001--Selling & Marketing Candles (part 2), UV Light Absorbers, Wax Additive Recommendations and more...

May 2001--Selling & Marketing Candles, Burning Instructions, Selecting Sustainer Bases and more...

April 2001--Natural Waxes, Candle Burn Times, Wax Pouring Temperatures and more...

March 2001--Making Wax Inserts, Blended vs. Non-Blended Waxes, Colors, Fragrances and more...

February 2001--Whipped Wax, Wax Art Crystal Wax, Gel Candles, Using Containers and more...