Zinc is a semitransparent white with a slightly bluish undertone. It first came to be popular in the 1830’s under the name “Chinese white”. While it has an excellent lightfastness rating, when used in exterior applications it has a tendency to “chalk”; to develop a powdery looking surface, and so is not recommended for use in outdoor murals. Because it is semitransparent, when it is used in blends, zinc white allows the other colours mixed with it to remain visible. Zinc white can be used to create bright, clean tints by adjusting tonal value without decreasing saturation.