Bought some porch paint yesterday and noticed this..

[Clarence Martin]

Bought some Dutch Boy Porch and Floor paint yesterday and noticed something.....

I thought I was buying a GALLON of paint. Turns out, it is 3 5/8 Quarts...

I know that Companies have been downsizing their products, but when you look at a Gallon of paint , I would think that one should expect that there be a full gallon of paint in the container. When did the Paint companies start doing this ?

[Todd Burch]

That's ridiculous.

I called a company here a while back - I think it was an OJ company, asking the same question... what ever happened to 1/2 gallon? They said their competitors were doing it, (it = filling a 1/2 gallon container with < than 1/2 gallon of OJ, and of course, labeling it as less too) and the customer service rep said they were basically "forced" into doing it. I call it a load of malarkey. No one held a gun to their head to "match the competition".

So, today they cut 3/8 of a gallon. In 6 months, they'll have a price increase. Then, they'll cut another 1/8 of a gallon, and so on. Pretty soon, we'll be paying for nothing.

[Lee Schierer]

It's because consumers don't read labels. They look at the price and buy the cheapest they can get, not noticing that the label actually says it contains less than if looks like. Just stroll through the grocery store and look at the ice cream containers. As they are displayed in the freezer case they look big, but when you take one out, they are half as deep as they are wide and no where near the half gallon size we were used to buying as far as content is concerned.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Tint bases have always been short filled to allow for the addition of colorant.
Did you get a tinted color?

[Clarence Martin]

Says Neutral Base. It was white and had them custom mix it to a very dark Black.

[Todd Burch]

Good point Rich, and valid... but it don't take 3/8 of a gallon to tint paint.

[Ed Edwards]

Just go to the BORG not a full gallon, particulary wall paint. What happened to a 1/2 gallon of ice cream?

Ed

[Rich Engelhardt]

Says Neutral Base. It was white and had them custom mix it to a very dark Black.

Well then, there you go.
If you add in the amount of colorant used to tint it that dark shade, you'll probably find you got 128 ounces - or - in other words, a full gallon.

Like I said, tint bases have always been short filled. Some, for the darker shades, by as much as 12 ounces - which is what 3 and 5/8 quarts (116 ounces) works out to

but it don't take 3/8 of a gallon to tint paint.

Todd, recheck your math.
The can says 3 and 5/8 quarts - which adds up to 116 ounces.
An 8th of a quart is 4 ounces.

[Todd Burch]

Rich, you are correct. The can is shy 3/8 of a quart, not 3/8 of a gallon. So, it is 12 oz short of a gallon. Point is, it's not a gallon any more, or they would be labeling it as a gallon.

If this is correct, then this can't be a trivial "we'll just give the consumer less paint" decision. All their tint formulas must have had to change too.

I wonder if the premixed colors still read a gallon.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Point is, it's not a gallon any more, or they would be labeling it as a gallon.

Correct - it isn't a gallon (128 fluid ounces) @ this point with the operative being - @ this point.

Add the colorant though and you get a full gallon - 128 ounces.

Tint bases have been short filled like this for at least 45 years that I know of first hand & the cans have always had the actual amount of material in the can, without the added colorant, listed on the label - so it's not a "new thing".
Pastel bases were 124 ounces (and still are for the most part)
Intermediate bases were 120 ounces.
Deep bases were 120 ounces.
Ultra deep bases were 116 ounces.

If this is correct, then this can't be a trivial "we'll just give the consumer less paint" decision. All their tint formulas must have had to change too.

Like I said - back in the mid to late 1960's when I started working in a paint store, the tint bases were short filled to allow for colorant.
Since tint bases are used as a basis for making a color, they aren't intended to be sold short filled.
It's assumed that colorant is going to be added and that added colorant will take the can up to a full 128 fluid ounces.

Having said that - yes, the can is short of a gallon and that's reflected by what's printed on the label. By law they have to print what's actually in the can, not the amount that will be in the can once the colorant is added.

Bottom line is when you have the color you want mixed up - you end up with a full (128 fluid ounces) gallon of paint.

Yes - premixed and whites should say 128 ounces on the can..

Edit to add...

Actually, if you ever saw the actual cost of a can of universal colorant, you'd realize that often the consumer comes out ahead.
I have no idea what they cost these days, but, back when I sold paint during the 1970's and had access to the costs, the bright yellow, bright orange and bright red colorants ran upwards of $25 a quart.
That's roughly $.78 an ounce.
A typical gallon of paint ran between $6.99 to $10.99 - roughly $.05 to $.10 an ounce.
So - if the mfg is taking out 12 ounces @ $.10 an ounce and replacing it with 12 ounces of colorant @ $.78 an ounce, they aren't making any money..

[Todd Burch]

Rich, thanks for taking your time with the explanation. Wish my OJ story would have had a similar happy ending.

[Charles Wiggins]

Bought some Dutch Boy Porch and Floor paint yesterday and noticed something.....

I thought I was buying a GALLON of paint. Turns out, it is 3 5/8 Quarts...

I know that Companies have been downsizing their products, but when you look at a Gallon of paint , I would think that one should expect that there be a full gallon of paint in the container. When did the Paint companies start doing this ?

It was only a matter of time. The ice cream people have been doing this for years.

[John McClanahan]

It was only a matter of time. The ice cream people have been doing this for years.

Remember when a 3 pound can of coffee was 3 pounds? Now, if's just over 2 pounds.

[Tom Scott]

It was only a matter of time. The ice cream people have been doing this for years.

Except for Blue Bell ice cream.

[Todd Burch]

Except for Blue Bell ice cream.

Tom, I'm 8 minutes from home to Blue Bell's front porch. Indeed, they are still one gallon, and advertise it as such! Good for them!