How to Blend Multiple Flake Colors Without Running Short on One
Splitting a total flake order across colors by percentage, and why the blend has to add up to exactly 100% before you order.
A custom flake blend is just your total flake order split across colors by percentage — but those percentages have to add up to exactly 100% before you order, or you’ll either run short on one color mid-broadcast or over-order another. The Flake Color Blend Calculator tracks the running total as you go.
How to read the inputs
Total Flake Needed
- Your whole flake order for the job — get this number from the Flake Broadcast Calculator first
Color Name & Blend %
- Add a row per color with its share of the blend — up to 8 colors, and rows can be added or removed
Quantity (per color)
- Calculated automatically from the total and that color’s percentage — this is what you order for that color
Running Total
- Shows how far under or over 100% your blend currently is — it needs to read exactly 100% before the quantities are final
Worked example
An 80 lb flake order, blended for a “Storm” look: White at 50%, Silver at 30%, and Charcoal at 20% — that’s 100% total. White = 80 × 0.50 = 40 lb, Silver = 80 × 0.30 = 24 lb, and Charcoal = 80 × 0.20 = 16 lb. Order each color to that figure, not a rounded guess.
Try it with your own blend
Add a row per color and adjust the percentages — the running total shows when you've hit exactly 100%.
Full result gives an exact quantity per color once the blend totals 100%.
Open the live calculator →Common mistakes
- Ordering before the percentages actually total 100% — even a small gap means one color runs short or over
- Eyeballing a blend instead of committing to exact percentages, which makes the broadcast harder to keep consistent across the floor
- Not checking a color’s quantity against the supplier’s minimum order before finalizing the blend
- Not recording the exact percentages used, making a later patch or repair hard to color-match
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if my percentages don’t add up to 100%?
The calculator flags it — a running total shows how far under or over you are. Under 100% means some flake is unaccounted for; over 100% means you’ve over-specified the mix. Adjust the percentages until the total reads exactly 100% before ordering.
Can I just eyeball a blend instead of using exact percentages?
You can, but it’s the most common way to run short on one color mid-broadcast. Committing to exact percentages up front — and ordering to match — is what keeps the blend consistent across the whole floor, and repeatable if you need to match it later.
What if a color’s percentage rounds to less than my supplier’s minimum order?
Either bump that color’s percentage up to meet the minimum (adjusting the others down to compensate) or drop it from the blend. A percentage too small to meet a minimum order usually wouldn’t read as a distinct color in the finished floor anyway.
Should I record the exact percentages I used?
Yes — save the blend recipe with the job. If you need to patch, repair, or match the same floor later, the exact percentages are what let you reproduce the same look instead of guessing from a photo.