颜料的分散过程由润湿、分散、稳定3个步骤组成。润湿过程中，颜料表面的的空气和水气被树脂溶液所替换，固/气两相（颜料/空气）被转换成固/液两相（颜料/树脂溶液）。分散剂尤其是低分子型的润湿分散剂能加快润湿的过程。分散过程中，主要依靠机械能作用（冲击和剪切力），颜料的团聚态被打碎成较小的微粒，成为分散状态（均匀分布）。第三步是稳定的过程，分散剂用于保持颜料分散状态的稳定，阻止失控的絮凝，并依据颜料表面所吸附的黏结剂种类和分子结构，促使悬浮液获得稳定状态。分散剂尤其是高分子分散剂对颜料粒子的稳定起了很大的作用。
The dispersion process of pigment consists of three steps: wetting, dispersion and stabilization. During the wetting process, the air and water gas on the pigment surface are replaced by the resin solution, and the solid / gas phase (pigment / air) is converted into the solid / liquid phase (pigment / resin solution). Dispersants, especially low molecular type wetting dispersants, can accelerate the wetting process. In the process of dispersion, mainly depending on the mechanical energy (impact and shear force), the agglomeration state of pigment is broken into smaller particles, which becomes the dispersion state (uniform distribution). The third step is a stable process. The dispersant is used to keep the dispersion state of pigment stable and prevent out of control flocculation. According to the type and molecular structure of the binder adsorbed on the surface of pigment, the suspension can obtain a stable state. Dispersants, especially polymer dispersants, play an important role in the stability of pigment particles.