How do I keep track of which paints I already own before I buy more?
Last updated: 7 September 2026
Keep one list of every paint pot you own, in one place, and check it before every purchase. Update it the day a new pot comes home, or the list stops being true within a month.
That is the whole method. The rest is making the list fast enough to check while you are standing in the shop.
How to do it with a notebook or a spreadsheet
- Gather every pot onto the desk. Include the half-empty ones and the ones in the drawer you forgot about.
- Write one row per pot: brand, range, exact name, and a state. Three states are enough: owned, running low, want.
- Sort by brand, then range. That mirrors the rack at the shop, so the lookup is quick under shop lighting.
- Add a "want" section at the bottom for paints a recipe needs but you do not have. This is your shopping list.
- Before a shop trip, open the list. Buy only what is missing or running low.
- When you get home, mark the new pots as owned. Same day, or it does not happen.
A phone note or a spreadsheet both work. The list only fails when it is a chore to update, so keep the columns few.
How Zenithal does it
Zenithal keeps your paints as a wall of colour swatches instead of a list, marked owned, running low or wishlisted. A bundled catalog covers 3,000+ paints across 13 brands, so adding a pot is a search or a barcode scan, not typing. Most pots scan straight in. Zenithal does not claim to scan every paint ever made. If a pot is not in the catalog yet, add it by hand and teach it the barcode for next time.
The free tier is a working tracker, not a trial: 40 paints, 10 backlog units and 5 recipes, with single-pot barcode scanning and cross-brand equivalents included. Backup, restore and CSV export are free forever. CSV import brings in paint lists from a spreadsheet or another tracker's export, so the list you already keep is not wasted. Nothing expires, and nothing you already saved is ever taken away.
Zenithal Pro is a one-time purchase, $9.99 USD at launch and $14.99 after the launch window closes. There is no subscription. Pro gives unlimited paints, units and recipes, bulk scanning for a whole haul in one session, and shop mode with the smart shopping list. Prices vary by country and are shown in the app.
Zenithal is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and on Google Play for Android phones and tablets. Native Mac and Windows versions are planned as later releases and are not available yet. No account, no login. Your units, paints, recipes and photos live in a database on your own phone or tablet. There is no live cross-device sync; backups are files you keep.
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Related questions
- Does Zenithal scan every paint barcode?
- Most pots scan straight in, matched against a catalog of 3,000+ paints across 13 brands. A pot not in the catalog can be added by hand and taught its barcode for next time.
- Can I import the spreadsheet I already have?
- Yes. CSV import brings in paint lists from a spreadsheet or another tracker's export, and CSV export gets your data back out. Both are free.
- Do I need an account to use Zenithal?
- No. There is no login, and your paints, recipes and photos live on your own phone or tablet. Backups are files you keep.
Zenithal is a Trueframe Digital app. Pay once, no account, your data stays on your device. See the Zenithal page for screenshots, the full feature list and prices.