Drywall finishing is not an easy job, but for the do-it-your-self finisher it will be rewarding and cost effective if done right.
It will take practice and patience, but hang in there, it will be worth it! Below I have listed a few reasons why coloring joint compound will be beneficial to you.
Coloring or tinting your drywall mud will make it easier for you to see your progress.
You will be able to visually know which coat you are on or if you have missed any spots.
If you did miss a couple of places and you already sanded, then just mix a small batch of a different color and apply.
This way you can instantly see the areas to be sanded.
This also works great if there is more than one person working on a project at different times.
For professionals this means you can monitor your employees performance and know exactly where they are in the overall project.
These tints will dry to a much lighter color and will easily cover with a sealer/primer.
The color will not bleed through the primer coat, or affect the drywall compound in any way.
The first coat of mud does not need to be colored.
It will go on grey and turn white when dry.
Color the second coat with an orange tint.
The third coat should be colored with a green tint (which will mostly cover the orange coat).
If you are going to texture, use a blue tint.
You can use colorant for the wall texture also.
This works great if you are spraying an orange peel texture, but it works with other textures too.
While spraying, you can see the color contrast against the wall, which makes for a nice even application.
You can actually see how much texture is going on the wall and if you are putting it on too thick or thin.
I personally will not go without coloring drywall mud again, and I have good eyesight! Once you use it, you will not go back to your old ways.
Have fun and please remember to use a primer/sealer when you are finished!