A typical paint and coatings manufacturer uses the following process steps to produce a final product:

Formulation
Paint formulations are designed in the laboratory and raw material specification issued to the production areas.

Milling or grinding of pigments
Pigments are ground and milled to a desired solid size and coloration.

Mixing operations
Resins, dry pigment, and pigment extenders are placed in a high-speed mixer. After initial mixing, the batch is transferred to a mill for additional grinding and mixing. Next, the paint base or concentrate is transferred to an agitated tank where tints and thinner and the balance of the resin are added.

Filtering operations
Upon reaching the proper consistency, the paint is filtered to remove any non-dispersed pigment and transferred to a loading hopper.

Filling operations
From the hopper, the paint is poured into cans/drums, labeled, packed, and moved to storage.

Equipment Cleaning operations
All equipment is thoroughly washed (with solvent or water).