---
title: "Schmincke HORADAM 12 Half-Pan Metal Box Guide"
canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/schmincke-horadam-metal-box-12/"
description: "Schmincke HORADAM metal box with 12 half pans explained: the 12 colors, box size, room for 12 more pans, the compact 74 012 version, price band and origin."
category: "Accessories"
type: "Watercolor set"
published: 2026-10-23
updated: 2026-10-23
author: "Ellis Penhale"
publisher: "Stationery Times"
sources: 6
products:
  - name: "Schmincke HORADAM Aquarell metal box, 12 half pans (74 412)"
    brand: "Schmincke"
    brand_origin: "Germany"
    made_in: "Germany"
    material: "12 HORADAM half pans in a black metal box with room for 12 more half pans, mixing palettes in the lid"
    price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Schmincke (Erkrath, Germany)"
    model: "74 412"
    url: "https://www.schmincke.de/produkte/aquarellfarben/horadam-aquarell.html"
---

# Schmincke HORADAM 12 Half-Pan Metal Box Guide

> The Schmincke HORADAM metal box 74 412 holds 12 half pans of Schmincke's artist-grade watercolor in a 22.3 × 7.2 cm black tin with room for 12 more half pans. The same 12 colors also come in the pocket-sized compact box 74 012 with a brush. Both are made in Germany and sit in our top price band, over $75.

- URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/schmincke-horadam-metal-box-12/
- Category: Accessories
- Author: Ellis Penhale
- Published: 2026-10-23
- Updated: 2026-10-23

![Schmincke HORADAM 74 412 metal box drawn to scale at 223 mm, open, with 12 half pans on the left and empty space for 12 more](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/schmincke-horadam-metal-box-12-16x9.png)

*The 74 412 box, 223 mm long, with room for 12 more half pans (1 mm = 2.6 px).* Original drawing (SVG): <https://stationerytimes.com/images/schmincke-horadam-metal-box-12-cover.svg>. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Product facts

| Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schmincke HORADAM Aquarell metal box, 12 half pans (74 412) | Schmincke (by Schmincke (Erkrath, Germany)) | Germany | Germany | 12 HORADAM half pans in a black metal box with room for 12 more half pans, mixing palettes in the lid | – | $$$$: over $75 per item |

- Made in (Schmincke HORADAM Aquarell metal box, 12 half pans (74 412)): Germany. Schmincke's German production page describes its artists' colors as Made in Germany and gives its address in Erkrath; it doesn't name the factory for this box specifically. Schmincke's Amazon US listings also say its colors are made in Germany. Source: https://www.schmincke.de/unternehmen/herstellung-qualitaet

## Key takeaways

- The 74 412 box measures 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm (8.8 × 2.8 × 0.9 in) and has space for 12 more half pans or 6 full pans, per Chapman Bailey.
- Its 12 colors are 215, 224, 349, 353, 494, 492, 519, 534, 655, 649, 663 and 780, from lemon yellow to ivory black.
- The compact 74 012 box holds the same 12 colors in 12.8 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm, with a da Vinci brush.
- Schmincke's German site lists 139 HORADAM shades plus 50 supergranulating colors, made in Germany.
- The compact 74 012 had 430 Amazon US ratings averaging 4.6 stars on October 23, 2026.

## What is the Schmincke HORADAM 12 half-pan metal box?

**It's Schmincke's classic long metal watercolor box, filled with 12 half pans of HORADAM, the German maker's artist-grade watercolor.** The box, item 74 412, has empty space for 12 more half pans, so it grows with your palette.

Schmincke has made artists' colors in Germany since 1881. Its German site lists 139 HORADAM shades in pans and tubes, plus 50 supergranulating colors.

## Schmincke 74 412 specs

**Australian retailer Chapman Bailey lists the box at 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm with 12 half pans and room for 12 more half pans or 6 full pans.**

| Spec | HORADAM metal box, 74 412 |
|---|---|
| Box size | 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm (8.8 × 2.8 × 0.9 in) |
| Pans | 12 half pans, filled |
| Free space | 12 more half pans or 6 full pans |
| Half pan size | 1.5 × 2 cm (0.6 × 0.8 in), per Schmincke's Amazon listing |
| Palette | Mixing areas in the lid |
| Grade | Artist (HORADAM) |
| Made in | Germany |

Cass Art describes two folding palette surfaces in the lid of its 12 half-pan tin. Schmincke's Amazon listing for the 24-pan version, 74 424, gives the same 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm black metal box.

![The 12 colors in the Schmincke HORADAM 74 412 and 74 012 boxes, as numbered half-pan swatches with names](https://stationerytimes.com/images/schmincke-horadam-metal-box-12-colors.svg)

*The 12 colors in both boxes (tints are representative, not color-accurate).*

## Which 12 colors does it include?

**A warm and cool version of each primary, plus earths, a green and black.** Chapman Bailey gives the numbers; Schmincke's Amazon listing for the compact box names them.

| Group | Colors (Schmincke number) |
|---|---|
| Yellows | Lemon yellow (215), cadmium yellow light (224) |
| Reds | Cadmium red light (349), permanent carmine (353) |
| Blues | Ultramarine finest (494), Prussian blue (492) |
| Greens | Phthalo green (519), permanent green olive (534) |
| Earths | Light ochre (655), English Venetian red (649), sepia brown (663) |
| Black | Ivory black (780) |

That's a mixing palette: with two yellows, two reds and two blues you can mix most hues, and the earths save mixing browns.


## 74 412 or the compact 74 012?

**Get the 74 412 if you'll add colors; get the 74 012 if you want the smallest box and a brush included.**

| | 74 412 | 74 012 compact |
|---|---|---|
| Box | 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm | 12.8 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm (5 × 2.8 × 0.9 in) |
| Pans | 12 half | 12 half |
| Room to add | 12 half or 6 full | None |
| Brush | No | da Vinci travel brush |
| Same 12 colors | Yes | Yes |

The compact box is the one most US buyers rate on Amazon: it showed 430 ratings averaging 4.6 stars on October 23, 2026, and that listing was about US$99 that day.

## How much does the Schmincke box cost?

**Both boxes sit in our top $$$$ band, over $75.** On October 21, 2026 Cass Art listed its 12 half-pan tin at £79.95 (about US$106).

That's several times the price of student sets. Compare the [Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Set](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/winsor-newton-cotman-sketchers-pocket-set/) or the [Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sakura-koi-pocket-field-sketch-box/), and see our [best watercolor sets](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-watercolor-sets/) for the full field.

## Can you refill or expand it?

**Yes: Schmincke says the pans refill with HORADAM tube color, and the 74 412 has empty wells for 12 more half pans.** Schmincke sells single half pans across the HORADAM range.

To try other artist colors before buying pans, the [Daniel Smith dot cards](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/daniel-smith-watercolor-dot-cards/) hold 288 swatches.

## Where is Schmincke watercolor made?

**In Germany: Schmincke describes its artists' colors as Made in Germany and is based in Erkrath, near Düsseldorf.** Its Amazon US listings repeat that its colors are made in Germany.

## Frequently asked questions

### What colors are in the Schmincke HORADAM 12 half-pan set?

Lemon yellow (215), cadmium yellow light (224), cadmium red light (349), permanent carmine (353), ultramarine finest (494), Prussian blue (492), phthalo green (519), permanent green olive (534), light ochre (655), English Venetian red (649), sepia brown (663) and ivory black (780).

### Is Schmincke HORADAM worth the money?

It depends on your stage. HORADAM is Schmincke's artist-grade line, priced in our $$$$ band; if you're still learning, a student set such as the Sakura Koi or Cotman costs a fraction as much.

### What's the difference between Schmincke 74 412 and 74 012?

Same 12 colors, different tins. The 74 412 is a 22.3 cm box with room for 12 more half pans; the 74 012 is a 12.8 cm compact box that's full with 12 and adds a brush.

### Can you refill Schmincke half pans?

Yes. Schmincke's Amazon listing says the pans can be refilled with HORADAM tube color, and replacement half pans are sold singly.

### Is Schmincke watercolor made in Germany?

Yes. Schmincke says its artists' colors are made in Germany, at its base in Erkrath, where it has made paint since 1881.

### How big is a Schmincke half pan?

Schmincke's Amazon listing gives 1.5 × 2 cm (0.6 × 0.8 in) for the half pans in its boxes.

## Sources

- [Schmincke (Germany): HORADAM Aquarell (139 Farbtöne in Näpfchen und Tuben, 50 supergranulierende Farben; read October 23, 2026)](https://www.schmincke.de/produkte/aquarellfarben/horadam-aquarell.html)
- [Schmincke (Germany): Herstellung & Qualität (Made in Germany, Erkrath, since 1881)](https://www.schmincke.de/unternehmen/herstellung-qualitaet)
- [Chapman Bailey: Schmincke HORADAM half pan metal sets (74 012, 74 408, 74 412, 74 424, 74 436: box sizes, pan counts and color numbers)](https://chapmanbailey.com.au/products/horadam-aquarelle-half-pan-metal-set)
- [Amazon US: Schmincke HORADAM AQUARELL compact color box, 12 half pans, 74 012 097 (12.8 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm; half pans 1.5 × 2 cm; color names; da Vinci brush; refill with tube color; 430 ratings, 4.6 stars, read October 23, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012F63TE)
- [Amazon US: Schmincke HORADAM AQUARELL color box, 24 half pans, 74 424 097 (black metal box, 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm, mixing palette)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VRMR6W)
- [Cass Art: Schmincke HORADAM Aquarell metal tin, half pan set of 12 (two folding palette surfaces in the lid; UK price)](https://www.cassart.co.uk/schmincke-horadam-aquarell-malkasten-metal-tin-half-pan-set-of-12--c/)