Use of pigment formulations for the preparation of pastes, printing inks and coatings

A process for the preparation of pastes, printing inks or coatings, comprising

• (a) selecting at least one finely divided pigment,
• (b) mixing with said finely divided pigment at least one thermoplastic copolymer obtainable by free radical polymerization of
• (.alpha..sub.1) C.sub.8 -C.sub.40 -monoolefins or
• (.alpha..sub.2) C.sub.8 -C.sub.40 -alkyl vinyl ethers or
• (.alpha..sub.3) a mixture of C.sub.8 -C.sub.40 -alkyl vinyl ethers and up to 50 mol % of C.sub.8 -C.sub.40 -monoolefins with
• (.beta.) monoethylenically unsaturated C.sub.4 -C.sub.12 -dicarboxylic acids or C.sub.4 -C.sub.12 -dicarboxylic anhydrides
• and having a weight average molecular weight of from 500 to 20,000 g/mol, some or all of whose carboxyl or anhydride groups may be reacted with ammonia, amines, alcohols, amino- or hydroxycarboxylic acids or alkali metal or alkaline earth metal hydroxides, and
• (c) if required, further assistants conventionally used in pigment formulations,
• wherein the thermoplastic copolymer (b) is present in an amount of from 1 to 30% by weight based on the pigment (a).