The Complete Guide to Johnstone's Trade Emulsions: Which One Should You Choose?

Johnstone's Trade offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of interior emulsions available to professional decorators — but with 12 products to choose from, knowing which one to reach for isn't always straightforward. This guide walks you through every emulsion in the range, explains what makes each one different, and helps you pick the right product for the job every time.

Why the Right Emulsion Matters

Not all emulsions are created equal. The difference between a standard vinyl matt and a premium acrylic durable product isn't just price — it's performance, longevity, and suitability for the environment you're painting in. Choosing the wrong product can mean premature wear, difficult cleaning, or a finish that looks flat in all the wrong ways under critical lighting.

Johnstone's Trade has engineered each emulsion in their range to solve specific problems on site, from hiding stubborn stains in a single coat to purifying the air in a freshly decorated room. Understanding those differences is the key to getting the best results for your clients and keeping maintenance cycles as long as possible.

The Three Tiers of the Range

The Johnstone's Trade emulsion range can be broadly split into three groups: Standard Emulsions for everyday decorating work, Premium & Specialist Emulsions for environments where durability or finish quality is critical, and Specialist Function Emulsions that bring a specific performance property — stain blocking or air purification — to the job.

Standard Emulsions

The standard range covers the most common decorating scenarios. Covaplus Vinyl Matt is the workhorse of the range — excellent coverage, strong opacity, and a clean matt finish suit it to the vast majority of interior wall and ceiling jobs. Vinyl Soft Sheen adds a hint of sheen and improved scuff resistance, making it a popular choice for hallways and living areas where a dead flat finish isn't quite right. Vinyl Silk steps up to a higher sheen level and is more washable still, ideal for higher-traffic spaces.

For new build and first-fix work, Jonmat Premium Contract Matt is the go-to. Its breathable, permeable formula makes it perfect as a mist coat on new plaster, and its obliterating performance means excellent coverage economically. Alongside it, Dry Lining Paint has been specifically formulated for bare plasterboard and dry lining boards, minimising the joint shadowing and surface imperfections that can plague standard emulsions under critical lighting.

Premium & Specialist Emulsions

When a job demands something beyond standard performance, the premium tier delivers. Perfect Matt uses Smooth Layer Technology to eliminate roller and brush marks, producing a flawless flat finish that's easy to spot repair without leaving visible patches — ideal for prestigious residential projects. UltraFlat Matt takes flatness even further with Low Reflectance Technology, producing an ultra-fine texture that eliminates any flashing under downlights or natural light — the right choice for any space where lighting conditions will be demanding.

Cleanable Matt is engineered for spaces that need frequent wiping down — schools, offices, healthcare settings — while retaining a true matt appearance even after repeated cleaning. For the highest-traffic environments of all, UltraLast Matt provides the most durable matt finish in the range, with scuff and stain resistance that stands up to daily punishment and the unique ability to be touched up weeks or months later without the need for a full repaint.

The Acrylic Durable Matt and Acrylic Durable Eggshell both use acrylic technology to deliver a hard, non-yellowing finish that's up to ten times more washable than standard emulsion. The eggshell variant carries one of the highest scrub resistance ratings in the range (exceeding ISO 11998 Class 1), making it a genuine alternative to oil-based finishes in commercial kitchens, bathrooms, and food production areas.

Specialist Function Emulsions

StainAway is the choice when a substrate has been affected by smoke, nicotine, or water damage. Its Stain Blocking Technology® seals those stains in a single coat without the need for a separate primer, saving time and cost on refurbishment projects. Air Pure Matt takes a different approach entirely, using Air Purifying Technology to neutralise up to 70% of airborne formaldehyde — a genuine benefit in newly built or recently refurbished spaces, and particularly relevant for schools, hospitals, and residential projects where occupant wellbeing is a priority.

Quick-Pick Guide

Not sure where to start? Here's a product at a glance for the most common scenarios on site:

Pro tip: Coverage figures are a useful guide, but always allow for substrate porosity. New plaster and bare plasterboard will absorb significantly more paint than previously decorated surfaces, so factor in a thinner first coat when calculating quantities.