While it usually comes in premixed colours, you can usually get acrylic enamel paint mixed to match your car’s colour. Acrylic Enamel paints are often used with a hardener, which will increase their durability and decrease their drying time.
Synthetic Enamel is a single stage paint and doesn’t require any hardener to be added nor does it need to be baked on. It’s usually only available in basic premixed colours, and is often used in situations where the paint doesn’t need to last too long, or won’t be exposed to a hard life. What is Enamel Paint?Įnamel paints are often broken down into two additional categories - Synthetic Enamel, and Acrylic Enamel Synthetic Enamel should be thought of as a Utility Grade Paint. Lacquer paints also require a larger amount of hand work in order to achieve the same sort of shine as newer paint types. If you are restoring an older car you might choose lacquer paint to match the original finish, but realistically, urethane paints can usually achieve the same look while also providing far better surface protection. These are quite a dated paint choice and are not used on new vehicles. However, what paint belongs in what category, and even the definitions themselves are actually fairly blurred due to the massive variety in compounds and applications these days. There are 3 basic types of car paint Lacquer, Enamel and Urethane. Now let’s look at the main types of paint. Most beginners should start with single stage paints as the application is far easier, you don’t need to juggle spray guns or multiple cans, and you can usually achieve a fairly balanced finish to the paint without much experience. Of course, like everything, there are exceptions to the rule - such as candy paints or other special ways of applying coats in order to achieve unique looks - but for the sake of simplicity, these two main categories are where you should start. These coats will be done over the top of a primer usually, and the number of coats applied in each stage will vary depending upon the desired finish. Two Stage - or base and top coat finishes, require you to apply an initial base coat (or a few) of the colour you want, and then a protective and shiny clear coat over the top. Some of the more specialty paints, such as powder coating and epoxy paints can be applied as single stage paints, but it will vary by paint and application. Usually when applying single stage paints, you’ll apply an initial half coat that’s thinner and lighter, and then a couple of proper coats, without the need for any sort of clear coat over the top. Single Stage - This group is usually limited to enamels and urethanes (we’ll explain these later) where a single can of paint contains the base colour, as well as the shiny topcoat mixed in together.
It’s important to note that it’s “different coats” that is talked about here, and not just the number of coats in total - and also that this doesn’t actually include prep coats such as anti-corrosion undercoats. This refers to the different coats that need to go into making the final paint job look good and provide the right level of wear resistance. The first thing to understand is that most automotive paint is broken down into two main categories according to the number of “stages” involved in the paint job. Let’s take a look at the choices you have. There’s a little bit to understand about the different types of paint as well as their suitability for particular applications so it’s good to get an idea of what’s what before jumping into any sort of paint job yourself. There are a fair few different types of paints used in the automotive world, and the range of choices goes hand in hand with their complexity and price range.