Liquid coatings and inks are facing increased pressure with respect to the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). As a result, ink and coating formulators have to balance safety, regulatory, and emission standards while meeting their customers' performance requirements. For low-VOC, metallic formulations, aluminum pigments are used to impart a desirable silver or metallic effect with excellent hiding power. In these applications, aluminum is typically supplied as either a dry powder or waterborne preparation, however, stringent safety measures are required to prevent dust explosions and corrosion, which can release hydrogen gas. In this article, a versatile, VOC-free aluminum preparation is introduced that can be formulated into a variety of solvent- and waterborne inks and coatings while directly addressing the aforementioned safety concerns. Min. explosion energy (MIE) and gassing data, as well as formulation and performance data are presented for both water- and solvent-based systems.