Class 2: Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers & Resins
Class 2 is paint, and everything that behaves like paint: varnishes, lacquers, wood stains, rust preventives, dyes, colourants and printing inks. It’s a small, specialist class, the 42nd most used of the 45, with 3,949 UK registrations between September 2021 and September 2026, which is about 90% fewer registrations than the average class. That usually means more room for a new name. It also means most of the mistakes happen at the edges, where a product that looks like paint turns out to belong somewhere else.
What class 2 covers
This is the official Nice heading, in full:
Paints, varnishes, lacquers; preservatives against rust and against deterioration of wood; colourants, dyes; inks for printing, marking and engraving; raw natural resins; metals in foil and powder form for use in painting, decorating, printing and art.
The simplest way to read it: class 2 is the substance that colours, coats or protects a surface. It doesn’t matter whether that surface is a wall, a car, a canvas, a fence post or a sheet of paper going through a printer. What it doesn’t cover is the tool that puts it on, or the service of putting it on for someone else.
When you definitely need class 2
- You make or sell paint under your own brand, whether it’s for homes, trade, cars or artists
- You sell varnishes, lacquers, wood stains, primers or protective coatings
- You make rust preventives or wood preservatives
- You produce dyes, pigments or colourants, including food colourings
- You sell printing inks, or ink and toner cartridges that come filled
When you might need class 2 without realising
A few businesses end up with class 2 products without ever thinking of themselves as paint companies.
- Printer supplies sellers. Filled ink and toner cartridges are class 2, because what you’re really selling is the ink. Toner cartridges, filled, for printers and photocopiers appears on 267 recent registrations.
- Bakers and cake decorators. Food colourings and edible inks are class 2, not class 30 with the rest of the baking range.
- Tattoo studios with their own ink. Tattooing ink sits here, on 111 registrations, separate from the tattooing service.
- Craft and art brands. Acrylics, watercolours and oil paints for artists are class 2, even when everything else in the kit isn’t.
If your own label is going on anything that colours, coats or protects, it’s worth checking class 2 before you file.
Not sure where your product sits? The free class tools below show you where businesses like yours actually file, or you can give us a call.
What businesses actually claim in class 2
These are the terms that turn up most often in recent UK class 2 registrations:
| Term | Marks using it | Share of class 2 | How common |
|---|---|---|---|
| paints | 917 | 23.2% | Most use this |
| colourants | 670 | 17.0% | Most use this |
| raw natural resins | 485 | 12.3% | Most use this |
| varnishes | 471 | 11.9% | Recommended |
| pigments | 421 | 10.7% | Recommended |
| lacquers | 400 | 10.1% | Recommended |
| mordants | 385 | 9.7% | Recommended |
| paint | 374 | 9.5% | Recommended |
| dyes | 365 | 9.2% | Recommended |
| preservatives against rust and against deterioration of wood | 364 | 9.2% | Recommended |
Plain “paints” leads the class on 917 registrations, followed by colourants and raw natural resins. The top of the table reads almost exactly like the official heading, which tells you most class 2 owners claim the broad terms rather than listing products one by one.
That’s a reasonable approach in a class this size, but it’s worth adding the specific products you actually sell too. Acrylic paints, wood coatings or spray paint costs nothing extra within the class and makes it much clearer what your brand is known for.
What class 2 does not cover
Industrial chemicals and unprocessed artificial resins are class 1. A paint manufacturer that also sells its raw materials on their own needs class 1 for those, where industrial chemicals is claimed on 363 registrations. There’s a catch that trips people up: raw natural resins and paint thinners stay in class 2, on 485 and 163 registrations respectively.
Painting and decorating is a class 37 service. The tin is class 2; applying it for a customer isn’t. Painting and decorating services appears on 310 class 37 registrations, and it’s the gap I see most often with manufacturers that also run a contracting arm.
Selling other brands’ paint is class 35. A trade counter, decorating centre or website stocking several paint brands is providing a retail service. Class 2 protects your own products, not the shop that sells them.
Brushes, palettes and paint boxes are class 16. An art range can have its paints in class 2 and everything else in class 16, where paintbrushes appears on 2,570 registrations and artists’ materials on 2,166.
Where these terms actually live
| Term | Belongs to | Marks using it |
|---|---|---|
| industrial chemicals | Class 1 | 363 |
| nail varnish | Class 3 | 2,021 |
| paintbrushes | Class 16 | 2,570 |
| artists’ materials | Class 16 | 2,166 |
| painting and decorating services | Class 37 | 310 |
Each of these is a separate registration. A mark in class 2 does not cover any of them.
The mistake I see most often
The mistake is protecting the coating but not the service of applying it. A manufacturer registers its brand in class 2, then starts a contracting or decorating arm under the same name. The name customers see on the van and the invoice is doing class 37 work, and class 2 doesn’t cover it.
It’s an easy gap to miss because the brand feels like one business. For trademark purposes, it’s two. Someone else can apply for the same name for painting and decorating services, and a class 2 registration on its own may not be enough to stop them.
The fix is to decide at the point of filing whether your name will ever be used on a service. If it will, adding class 37 at the start is far simpler than trying to recover the name later.
Is class 2 the right class for you?
If you make or sell something that colours, coats or protects a surface under your own brand, class 2 is very likely yours. If you also apply it, sell other brands, or supply the tools, look at classes 37, 35 and 16 as well.
Our free class tools build a specification from wording already accepted on real UK filings, so you can see what businesses like yours claim before you commit.
Common questions about class 2
Is nail varnish class 2 or class 3?
Class 3. Anything applied to the body as a cosmetic sits in class 3, whatever it’s called. Nail varnish is claimed on 2,021 class 3 registrations. The same goes for hair dyes, which are class 3 even though fabric and industrial dyes are class 2.
Which class are printer ink cartridges?
Filled cartridges are class 2, because the ink is the product. The printer itself is class 9. If you sell both refills and machines, you’ll need both classes, and it’s worth using wording like ink cartridges, filled, for printers so there’s no doubt what you’re covering.
Do I need class 2 for food colouring?
Yes. Food colourings and edible inks are class 2, even though they end up in food. A cake decorating brand selling colourings alongside sprinkles and icing will usually need class 2 for the colours and class 30 for the rest.
Is wood stain class 2?
Yes. Wood stains, wood preservatives and wood coatings are all class 2, alongside rust preventives for metal. They’re treated as protective coatings, so they sit with paints and varnishes rather than with timber or building materials.
About these figures. Last researched 23 September 2026, from UK trademarks registered between September 2021 and September 2026 whose entry in this class is still active. That is current drafting practice rather than the historical register. Terms shown are those most frequently used in that period.
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