Paintballs are spherical gelatin capsules that contain primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye. The shell of the paintball is made of gelatin, which is almost always used and functions similarly to a supplement capsule. The paint inside the shell is a liquid paint mixture that marks your friends on impact. Most manufacturers use polyethylene glycol and water-based dyes as main ingredients for the paint mixture. The glycol is used because it has a very low freezing point, around -15 degrees Fahrenheit, which means paintballs will not freeze in even frigid cold conditions. Some paintballs may contain oil-based paints, but these are not recommended as they are harsher on guns and equipment and have no real benefits over paintballs that contain water-soluble dyes.
Paintball manufacturing starts in a factory where the paint is first produced. After, the paint is sent to a separate facility where it is loaded into machines that create the paintballs. The paintballs are made of entirely non-toxic, food-grade materials, and are edible but taste disagreeable as they tend to dry up the mouth. The use of polyethylene glycol in the fill can also cause gastrointestinal distress in individuals who eat a number of paintballs, so they should be kept out of reach of young children.
