The idea for this blog post comes from our team member who handles inquiries and concerns sent via our social media accounts. It’s time we addressed this, she tells me, and I happily oblige.
I can see how someone can get tingkad and kintab confused. They do kind of sound alike. Many get them mixed up or think they mean the same thing. They don’t. Here’s the difference between these two Filipino words—tingkad and kintab—when it comes to painting.
Tingkad
Brightness which relates to the paint’s color
Tingkad is brightness. When it comes to paint, it’s directly related to the paint’s color. Matingkad na kulay pertains to a color that is vibrant and highly saturated. It’s the opposite of pusyaw—dull, muted, or pale in English.
Examples of matingkad colors are fuchsia, teal, and lemon yellow. In the home and as paint, these are typically used as accent colors or as a pop of color. On the other end of the spectrum, you have pastels which are softer hues popular for interior walls.
To help you visualize what we mean, here are some colors in their matingkad and pastel shades:
Kintab
Shine which relates to the paint’s finish
Kintab is shine. When you’re dealing with paint products and painting projects, kintab or shine refers to a paint’s finish. A paint’s finish, also called sheen, pertains to how shiny, glossy, or light reflective the coating will be once it’s dry. This can range from glossy (a lot of shine) to flat (little to no shine at all).
So, when you’re asked “Ano’ng gusto mong kintab ng pintura?”, some answers you could say include gloss, semi-gloss, satin, matte, and flat. These are the sheens that Boysen products usually come in.
Gloss
- Best for kitchen cabinets, doors, and furniture
- Boysen products: Quick Drying Enamel, Automotive Lacquer
This type of finish has a lot of shine because of its high light reflectivity. Glossy paint coatings also tend to be dirt pick-up resistant and highly durable. However, surface imperfections are more noticeable.
Semi-gloss
- Best for exterior and interior walls
- Boysen products: Permacoat Latex, Wallguard
This type of paint finish is not as reflective gloss but still has a good shine to it. It also has good dirt pick-up resistance and durability. Popular Boysen product Permacoat Latex comes in this sheen.
Satin
- Best for interior walls
- Boysen products: Healthy Home
If a finish between semi-gloss and matte is what you’re after, go for satin. It has a bit of shine while hiding imperfections a bit better than gloss and semi-gloss.
Matte
- Best for interior walls
- Boysen products: Virtuoso Silk Touch
Matte paint finishes are easy on the eyes, and look elegant and luxurious thanks to their lack of shine. They mask imperfections well too. Though some matte paint products get easily dirty, Virtuoso Silk Touch is an exception as it’s specially formulated to be an easy-clean paint.
Flat
- Best as primer and for ceilings
- Boysen products: Permacoat Flat Latex, Flatwall Enamel
Flat finishes hide imperfections best because they also reflect light the least. Unfortunately, they also get dirty the quickest so they’re best on very low-touch surfaces like ceilings or as primers.
So, to recap, tingkad is for color brightness and vibrancy. Kintab is for shine when talking about a paint’s finish. There! It’s not so difficult, is it?
If you have any additional questions or inquiries about Boysen products, our technical team will be happy to assist you. Send an email to ask@myboysen.com or call (02) 8363-9738 local 413 to 418 during office hours for a one-on-one consultation.
