The oldest evidences that we have found about the use of Effect Pigments are the cave paintings of the ice age people. These cave paintings depict the uses of the variety of colors and their emotional attachments with those different colors. In the 18th century, the first reference of Pearl lustre pigments came. These Pearl lustre pigments were the traditional type, but today, a lot variety of effect pigments have come into existence in every aspects of our lives.

By using the effect pigments, one can get access many unique effects. These effects include the visual world effect with a decorative look, flickering lights and amazing effects. These pigments bring a new feeling and give new effect to the colors with sparkle and tremulousness.

Absorption Pigments
In Absorption Pigment category, all the conventional organic or inorganic color pigments come. These pigments absorb a particular wavelength of the incoming light. These pigments don't produce any lustre, because of their irregular shapes.

Metallic Pigments
Metallic Pigments comprise of very small platelets of aluminum, copper, zinc. The formation and distinguishtion of opaque pigments are possible due to these metallic pigments on the basis of the surface lustre.

Pearl Lustre Pigments
Pearl lustre pigments are semi-transparent. These pigments are based on guanin or bismuth oxychloride, mica minerals. In these pigments, the light reflects in between the different layers of the pigments. This phenomena makes these pigments very lustre.

Optical Variable Pigments (OVP)
Optical Variable Pigments are the new addition in the group of effective pigments group. From new substrates, like aluminum oxide and silica oxide, these pigments have been developed.

Today, the two driving forces are appreciation of beauty and design in markets. These two driving forces can be seen in packaging industry, automotive industry, electronic industry, appliances and toys and all the other fields. To bring appreciation of beauty and product differentiation, the use of effective pigments are very useful. The other reasons of the uses of effective pigments are as follows:

• The addition of special effect pigments into plastics allows formulators.
• To call up the quality, luxury and durability in various applications.
• To bestow an emotional aspect upon the products.
• To bring sophistication and depth in the packaging process.
• To strengthen the concept of product differentiation and branding of different product categories.
• To provide a gorgeous and attractive appearance in the materials.

The special effect pigments may bring a metallic look into plastic materials. These are lamellar flakes. The very thin platelets of special effect pigments can be readily obtained due to their shapes. On the basic of transparent and opaque effects of the effective pigments, they can be classified into two more groups.

Opaque Pigments
The platelets of the opaque pigments don't transmit light. These platelets only reflect the the light and during reflection they also absorb light partially.

Transparent Pigment
The platelets of Transparent Pigments can partly transmit light and for this phenomena these pigments can produce a special kind of shimmery lustre. The refractive index of these platelets is low. The figure describes the light mechanism of Transparent Pigments. Transparent Effect Pigments have affinity with almost all thermoplastics.