General questions
What are your delivery times ?

Our delivery times average between 2 and 6 working days. On the other hand, beware of coloured ready-to-use products (Badisof, Badisof Plus, Sofodor, Sofolith, plaster) that we manufacture on order, at the customer’s request. These sometimes require a little more time to prepare the mixture. For more details on our delivery terms, please visit HERE.


What is the address of Ocres de France ?

Ocres de France (showroom & factory) is located 200 chemin des Ocriers, 84400, Apt.


Do you have a minimum order ?

We have no minimum order on our website and ship all over the world.


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Technical questions on products
What is the difference between a natural pigment and a synthetic pigment ?

It is a substance (pure pigment) or preparation (compound pigment) in the form of practically insoluble fine particles, unlike the dyes which are in liquid solution (dye for ink, for paint, for dyeing...) Mineral pigments, organic pigments and metallic pigments can be found.

We classify them on our website in two categories: natural or synthetic. Natural pigments (for example our ochre, earth, etc.), are found in the natural state and undergo only a process of calcination and/or mixtures.
Synthetic pigments, on the other hand, are produced by thermal and/or chemical reaction between several materials. We speak here of «green chemistry». Their shades are less term than those of natural mineral pigments which, in turn, have a much better resistance to UV over time. Unfortunately, we often read or hear the words “blue ochre”, “pink ochre”… These products do not exist, it is a shortcut that some uninitiated people take to talk about synthetic pigments. Moreover, not all natural pigments are ochre ! Just as there are synthetic pigments of a color similar to ochre and which are not! Ochre is not a colour but a material itself (kaolin + hydroxide/iron oxide) which has its own characteristics, such as its inalterability.


I did a lime paint myself but the final color is lighter than the color of the powder pigment I chose. Why ?

To adhere to a substrate, pigments need to be incorporated into a binder. These can be transparent (acrylic binder, gel, resin), white (lime, casein, cement), or even yellow (linseed oil). The binder will have a huge impact on the final color! Not surprisingly, the transparent binders will give you a color similar to that of the powder pigment. The white binders will lighten the shade by about 50% (so watch out for reds that can turn pink with lime!). Finally, linseed oil in particular will darken the color. For this reason, we simplify your choice by offering you for each pigment in our catalog, a photo of plates presenting the rendering with linseed oil, as well as renderings of the pigment dosed 5 and 20% (maximal saturation) in lime. What to help you choose !


How to obtain a sustained shade with lime ?

Here is the million-dollar question:-) But already… is it possible? The good news is that yes! To help you do this, you can count on your best ally : lime water. Lime water is the water used to extinguish quicklime. It is therefore still lime-laden but no longer has the white color that inevitably fades the dye. Its transparency makes possible to create very bright tones without blocking the support.
You can apply it in fresco (fresh in fresh), patina or fixative. More information here.


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