Pigment refers to the substance that can make objects colored. There are soluble and insoluble pigments, and there are differences between inorganic and organic pigments. Inorganic pigments are generally mineral substances. Humans have long known to use inorganic pigments to paint and paint their bodies on rock walls using colored soil and minerals. Organic pigments are generally taken from plants and marine animals, such as indigo, gambog and purple extracted from shellfish in ancient Rome.

Pigment is a kind of colored fine powder material, which is generally insoluble in water and can be dispersed in various media such as oil, solvent and resin. It has hiding power, coloring power, and is relatively stable to light. It is often used to prepare paint, ink, and colored plastic and rubber, so it can also be called colorant.