I am new to all of this. The colorants I find online are really expensive in my opinion. Is there a cheaper way to accomplish this using a cheaper type of dye or paint? Also wondering where to get the cheapest plastisol. Thanks guys!
Garrett

I would not start experimenting with stuff outside the norm as it might not play well with plastisol and high temps. Bad things can happen. You can load up an enough basic colorants to get going for less than $50 easily. Same with plastisol. Its cheap enough to use the good stuff.

You do realize that a couple drops of colorant per oz. of plastic is all that is required for most colors? Seems all the plastisol is about the same price no matter who you order from.

The best value (not the best, or the cheapest) plastisol is the lureworks 5 gallon medium ($65)
While you are at the lureworks website, pick up some black, blue, green pumpkin, pearl/white colorants and some large black glitter

That's all you need and should last you a while (pouring plastics in a Texas summer is not something you'll do regularly)

You can go cheap and just use crayon shavings for colorant, but I wouldn't do it

The darker colors take very little color and should last a while. I've found it's the lighter transparent colors that require more volume to achieve the desired color.

These folks are in Ft. Worth and have special on color and glitters

http://www.pouryourownworms.com/Liquid-Plastic-Colors_c2.htm

I use a lot of glitter that I buy from Walmart and Hobby Lobby. It will curl if you keep reheating it. I add it right before I inject and it holds up great. I mostly have X2 color from DoIt. It lasts a really long time so that offsets the cost. I also buy my plastisol in 5 gallon increments to offset the cost.

So I found some plastisol ink on Amazon. Looks like it's made for printers. It looks like a thick liquid that comes in buckets. Reckon that'd work? I'm awfully curious since the ink itself is apparently plastisol based. It'd be wayyyyy cheaper. A 5 gallon bucket was like 50 bucks if I remember correctly

You will not ever need 5 gallons of colorant.