How to transfer your Games Workshop Warhammer Color (Citadel) paints into dropper bottles in our step-by-step guide to decanting your paints so they don’t dry out.
People had been petitioning GW (literally, there is a petition going around) to transfer their paints to dropper bottles. But now that they have changed their paint name from Citadel Colour to Warhammer Colour, without changing to dropper bottles, it’s doubtful that will happen anytime soon.
like it’s going to happen, so it’s time to take matters into your own hands! That’s why today we are going to show you one of the easiest ways to get the most out of your hobby paints by showing you how to do it yourself.
Transferring your Citadel paints into dropper bottles, which you can grab here, will make painting a breeze. Grabbing a set of 50 won’t set you back much hobby dollars-wise, and it can save you big on paint! Sure, maybe they should come like this in the first place (as thousands of people have been saying for ages), but they don’t.
You can watch our video to see how to do it or read our highlights below. Let’s learn how to make our own Citadel Color paints in dropper bottles!
Transfer Your Citadel Warhammer Color Paints to Dropper Bottles
Updated on March 12th, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest
You’re a strong, independent gamer who doesn’t need to buy GW-produced dropper bottles! But before we get into the process of switching your Citadel paints over to easy-to-use dropper bottles, here’s what you need:
- 15ml Dropper Bottles
- 30ml Dropper Bottles (for contrast and large pots)
- Vallejo Flow Improver
- The Army Painter Mixing Balls
A bag of 50 dropper bottles from Amazon is perfect to get you started. 15mL is a great start but can be a little small when transferring Citadel Contrast paints, so if that’s the majority of your collection, you’ll want the 30ml droppers. The 15ml is the standard Vallejo and Army Painter dropper bottle size, so if you don’t feel like doing this, just go grab some of their paints!
The dropper bottle kit from Amazon comes with the bottles, nozzles, and tops, so you are ready to start transferring right out of the box.
Step One:
The first step to start transferring your paints is to snip off the plastic lid on the Citadel Paints. Carefully use your hobby clippers to snip the plastic; no need to waste paint on the first step. Next, grab a dash of Flow Improver to help ease your transfer, and add a few ball bearings to get things moving inside the pot. Give your paint a good shake to mix the paint and Flow Improver.
Step Two:
Now, gently pour your paint from your Citadel pot into your dropper bottle. Don’t rush here and take your time, with the flow improver and metal balls it should go smoothly. If you rush here and spill all the paint, it was all for nothing! If you have a hard time with your pour, try using a funnel used for pouring booze into those tiny metal flasks. A little excess paint might remain in the pot after transferring, so keep that in mind. You can let it rest and then repeat the process to get that last little bit of paint out.
Step Three:
To seal the deal, peel off the label from the Citadel paint and add it to your dropper bottle. You might as well know what each painting is if you’re going through the trouble… Or you can just guess and make painting all the more fun!
Final Thoughts on Decanting Your Citadel Warhammer Color Paint into Dropper Bottles
It can take 3-4 hours to fill 50 or so dropper bottles with paint if you’re being careful not to make a mess and such. Still, not that long when you consider how much paint and hassle it will save you in the future!
Transferring or decanting your Citadel Warhammer Color paints into dropper bottles will help step up your hobby paint game. No more spilling or wasting paint with these bottles! Stay tuned for more hobby hacks and tutorials, and make sure to watch the full video above for all of Rob’s insights!
Get the Supplies to Transfer Your Paints with the Links Below:
- 15ml Dropper Bottles
- 30ml Dropper Bottles (for contrast and large pots)
- Vallejo Flow Improver
- The Army Painter Mixing Balls
🔗 Related Reads:
- The Ultimate Guide To Painting Miniatures
- GW Changes their Paint name to Warhammer Color
- Top Paint Conversion Charts for Miniatures
- Citadel Contrast Paints: How they look on miniatures
Have you transferred your Citadel Color paints to dropper bottles yet?
