A Guide to Understanding Your Car’s Paint Job

When you find the perfect new vehicle, you need to discover all that comes with owning the car. Learn more with a guide to understanding your car’s paint job.

Finding the right paint job for your car can be confusing. You want to choose a dazzling color and finish but also stay within budget and consider the cost of future repairs. Learn more with this guide to understanding your car’s paint job.

Types of Layers

Before understanding the different types of car paint, it’s beneficial to know the different layers that make up your car’s paint job. How do car manufacturers put the finishing touches on your new car?

Primer

The first layer is a primer that prepares the car’s surface to paint. This first step of the process helps to ensure your paint color doesn’t chip easily or fade over time.

Base Coat

The base coat is the color car painters use to bring your new vehicle to life. When the base coat adheres to the primer, the protected surface hardens and allows the paint to last longer.

Clear Coat

The last layer is a clear coat. This transparent coating seals the finished color in a protective layer. It also contains components to protect the car’s exterior from harmful UV rays that cause the paint to fade over time.

Different Types of Car Paint

When buying a vehicle, it’s essential to recognize which type of paint is right for you. You need to learn about your car so you can extend the life of your car’s paint job.

Solid Paint

Solid paint is the most common car paint style. It’s an affordable and easy repair option compared to the high-end finishes. Solid paint is available in most of the common vehicle colors you see every day.

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Matte

A matte paint base coat is what you will find on a more expensive style of car. The more muted colors of black, gray, and silver differ from other paint styles, which have a shimmer or brightness. While matte isn’t the most popular paint style, it has a subtle polish that stands out among other cars.

Metallic Paint

A metallic paint job has a shimmery finish that gives your car a high-end look. This premium design is more costly than the other paint styles and can be tricky to repair. If the price is in the cards for your next vehicle purchase, metallic paint is an amazing choice that will give your car a beautiful reflective look and emphasize the car’s features.

Pearlescent

Pearlescent has a unique shine in the sunlight that both reflects and refracts light. In addition to shimmering beautifully, pearlescent paint hides scratches just like metallic paint, but the repairs are much more complex and come at a higher cost.

No matter the paint job you choose when finding your new car, remember this guide to understanding your car’s paint job. Always take care of your car so it will last for years to come.

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