Paintballs consist of two things: the shell (outer casing) and the fill (the colored paint that makes the splat).

The shell, or outer casing, of the paintball is made of the same thing as liquid capsules for supplements or medication. Gelatin! The gelatin hardens enough to securely hold the fill, yet will break on impact. It is kind of like an M&M; once you break that shell open, you can get all the goodness that’s inside. To ensure that your paint stays fresh and round, you want to keep them stored at around 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit, and not in direct sunlight. If you store your paintballs in too high of heat or in direct sunlight, it can cause them to become misshapen, and they will not fire out of your marker.

The fill, or paint, used in paintballs is made out of polyethylene glycol, also known as PEG, along with water-soluble dyes. Manufacturers can customize the fill in paintballs to any color. However, due to certain paint colors being considered “illegal” in tournament paintball, most fields stay away from red, purple, and black fill. Normally, players want to have a nice bright fill so that there is no mistaking when you have hit your target!

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