Createx Colors
Createx Colors is a privately-held, East Granby, CT manufacturer founded in 1978 that produces water-based airbrush paints and coatings across multiple product lines (Createx Airbrush Colors, Wicked Colors, Illustration Colors, candy2o, AutoBorne Sealer), selling DTC online and through dealers to custom painters, automotive customizers, and hobby artists in the US and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersEast Granby, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Createx Colors does
Createx Colors is a privately-held manufacturer of water-based paints and coatings for the custom and graphic arts industry, founded in 1978 and headquartered in East Granby, Connecticut. The company builds its products on proprietary water-soluble urethane and acrylic resin systems combined with lightfast pigments, engineering distinct resin chemistries for different substrates: a lower-Tg acrylic for soft-hand fabric painting (Createx Airbrush Colors), an acrylic-polyurethane for adhesion to difficult hard surfaces (Wicked Opaque Colors), and submicron-sheered acrylics for fine atomization at low psi (Wicked Detail and Illustration Colors). Its portfolio spans six product lines — Createx Airbrush Colors, Wicked Colors, Illustration Colors, candy2o, AutoBorne Sealer, and Reducers & Additives — plus the Scenix mural/theme paint and Pure Pigments lines, covering transparent, opaque, fluorescent, pearl, metallic, and effect finishes.
The company sells primarily through a direct-to-consumer Shopify e-commerce store (createxcolors.com) shipping to the United States and Canada, supplemented by an authorized dealer network for local pickup. Pricing is per-unit across sizes from 2oz bottles to gallon containers, with premium Pearl-Flake SKUs reaching $2,343 per gallon. End customers include custom t-shirt and apparel painters, fine and illustration artists, automotive customizers (motorcycles, helmets, vehicle graphics), model/RC builders, and general hobbyists. The company is founder-owned (Vince Kennedy and Wendy Kennedy as co-founders), operates with 11–50 employees, has not raised institutional funding, and pursues a community-driven go-to-market anchored on the "Ask Vinny" technical support program and an active YouTube tutorial channel.
Createx Colors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Createx Colors
- Legal name
- Createx Colors
- Website
- https://createxcolors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Createx Colors is a privately-held, East Granby, CT manufacturer founded in 1978 that produces water-based airbrush paints and coatings across multiple product lines (Createx Airbrush Colors, Wicked Colors, Illustration Colors, candy2o, AutoBorne Sealer), selling DTC online and through dealers to custom painters, automotive customizers, and hobby artists in the US and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Createx Colors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Paints and Coatings
- NAICS
- Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)
- SIC
- Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Surface Materials & Coatings for Interiors/Exteriors Manufacturing (Upholstery Materials/Decor Films/Paints for Trim) (IMACAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Color Matching, Tinting & Colorant Systems (IMAEAHAL)
Keywords
Where Createx Colors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- East Granby
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Createx Colors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Water-Based Paint Sales: One-time product sales of water-based paints across multiple product lines including Airbrush Colors, Wicked Colors, Illustration Colors, candy2o, AutoBorne Sealer, and Reducers & Additives. Products sold in various sizes from 2oz bottles to gallon containers. Direct-to-consumer online sales with dealer network for local purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Createx Airbrush Colors - Transparent Colors |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wicked Colors - Transparent Colors |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wicked Colors - Pearl & Metallic |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wicked Colors - Pearl-Flake |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Createx Colors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Createx Colors manufactures and sells water-based airbrush paints, dyes, sealers, and coating additives for custom and graphic arts applications including fabric painting, illustration, model building, and automotive customization. The company offers six primary product lines sold in sizes ranging from 2oz bottles to gallon containers through its own e-commerce store and a dealer network, serving individual artists, hobbyists, and professional customizers.
Product overview
Createx Colors is a manufacturer of water-based paints and coatings for custom and graphic arts, founded in 1978. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio centered around six main product lines: Createx Airbrush Colors (the original product line launched in the early 1990s, known for its soft-hand feel on fabrics), Wicked Colors (a multi-purpose do-everything airbrush color introduced in 2021 with expanded pearl and metallic effects), Illustration Colors (the flagship line for fine detail work at low psi), candy2o (concentrated 100% transparent dye colors), AutoBorne Sealer (surface preparation and adhesion products), and Reducers & Additives (thinning and mixing products including 4011 Reducer, 4030 Balancing Clear, and 4050 UVLS Gloss Clear). The company utilizes modern water-soluble urethane and acrylic resins combined with lightfast pigments to create durable, brilliant-looking paints.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wicked Colors: Multi-purpose airbrush colors, the company's largest color collection as of 2021, including pearls, metallics and special effects.
- Illustration Colors
- Airbrush Colors
- candy2o
- AutoBorne Sealer
- UVLS Clears
- Reducers & Additives
Products and services
- Createx Airbrush Colors Original water-based airbrush paint line made with acrylic resin featuring a soft-hand feel ideal for fabric painting, with bright saturated colors available in transparent, opaque, fluorescent, and pearlized variants and curated sets.
- Wicked Colors Multi-purpose water-based airbrush color line that air dries to a harder coating, serving as Createx's largest color collection including transparent, opaque, fluorescent, pearl, metallic, pearl-flake, and detail variants.
- Illustration Colors Flagship line of airbrush paints designed for fine atomization at low psi settings, featuring a unique resin that allows soft erasing and manipulation, available in Transparent, Bloodline, Lifeline, and curated sets for detailed illustration work.
- candy2o Concentrated 100% transparent dye colors used as a carrier-medium mixed with clears for custom automotive and graphic arts applications.
- AutoBorne Sealer Surface preparation products including adhesive clears and sealers designed to improve paint adhesion and durability on hard surfaces, plastic, aluminum, and automotive applications.
- Reducers & Additives Supporting product line including 4011 Reducer for thinning paints, 4030 Balancing Clear and 4050 UVLS Gloss Clear for mixing with colors, along with cleaners, mixing clears, UVLS clears, and specialty products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Soft-hand feel on fabrics without stiffening
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Createx Colors
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Createx Colors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Createx Colors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Createx Colors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- House of Kolor: House of Kolor manufactures custom automotive and graphic art paints, including bases, kandies, and pearls used by automotive customizers and airbrush artists — directly overlapping Createx's Wicked Colors, candy2o, and AutoBorne Sealer product lines serving the same custom automotive segment.
- Alsa Corporation: Alsa Corp manufactures specialty effect paints (candy colors, chameleons, pearls) for automotive customizers, motorcycles, and helmets — a direct competitor to Createx's Wicked Colors Pearl & Metallic and Pearl-Flake lines and AutoBorne Sealer offerings.
- Montana Cans: Montana Cans produces water-based spray paints and markers for street art, graffiti, and creative applications — directly comparable to Createx's artist- and hobbyist-oriented water-based paint portfolio, particularly for canvas, mural, and illustration use cases.
- Liquitex: Liquitex manufactures professional artist acrylic paints and mediums — a direct comparable to Createx's Illustration Colors and Airbrush Colors for fine-art and illustration customers, with overlapping water-based acrylic resin technology.
- Golden Artist Colors: Golden Artist Colors produces professional water-based acrylic paints and mediums for fine artists — comparable to Createx's artist-focused lines and serves overlapping professional/hobbyist acrylic paint customers in the same specialty coatings category.
Others
- Badger Air-Brush Co. Badger manufactures airbrush equipment and accessories — a complementary ecosystem player whose customers overlap heavily with Createx's airbrush paint users, making it a directly adjacent peer rather than a direct paint competitor.
- Iwata (ANEST IWATA): Iwata is a major airbrush and spray equipment manufacturer whose end users are the same artists and custom painters that buy Createx paints — an adjacent ecosystem participant that influences Createx's addressable market through paint/equipment compatibility.
Broad incumbents
- Sherwin-Williams: Sherwin-Williams is a global coatings giant spanning architectural, industrial, automotive refinish, and specialty segments — a broad incumbent whose automotive refinish and specialty divisions compete for some of Createx's automotive customizer and hobbyist customers.
- PPG Industries: PPG is a major global paint and coatings manufacturer with automotive refinish, industrial, and specialty product lines — a broad incumbent whose water-based refinish products overlap with Createx's automotive coatings segment and whose scale dwarfs Createx's operations.
- Winsor & Newton: Winsor & Newton is an established fine-art paint and materials manufacturer serving professional artists with water-based acrylics and other media — a broad incumbent comparable to Createx's artist-focused lines, with deeper heritage in traditional fine art supply channels.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Createx Colors social profiles
Digital presenceCreatex Colors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Createx Colors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Createx Colors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Createx Colors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Createx Colors
What does Createx Colors do?
Createx Colors manufactures and sells water-based airbrush paints, dyes, sealers, and coating additives for custom and graphic arts applications including fabric painting, illustration, model building, and automotive customization. The company offers six primary product lines sold in sizes ranging from 2oz bottles to gallon containers through its own e-commerce store and a dealer network, serving individual artists, hobbyists, and professional customizers.
Is Createx Colors a public or private company?
Createx Colors is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Createx Colors founded?
Createx Colors was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Createx Colors based?
Createx Colors is headquartered in East Granby, United States, in the North America region.
How does Createx Colors make money?
One revenue line is on record: water-Based Paint Sales.
Who are Createx Colors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are House of Kolor, Alsa Corporation, Montana Cans, Liquitex and Golden Artist Colors. Others are Badger Air-Brush Co. and Iwata (ANEST IWATA). Broad incumbents are Sherwin-Williams, PPG Industries and Winsor & Newton.
Does Createx Colors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Createx Colors.
What industry is Createx Colors in?
Createx Colors's product category is Paints and Coatings. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAKAL, Automotive Surface Materials & Coatings for Interiors/Exteriors Manufacturing (Upholstery Materials/Decor Films/Paints for Trim), with a secondary code of IMAEAHAL, Color Matching, Tinting & Colorant Systems. Its NAICS code is 325510 and its SIC code is 3950.