How to use glitter body paint ? 

For specialists, there is a wide variety of sizes, types and colors among what the public commonly calls car paint flakes, because far beyond the simple Metal Flakes flakes used in automotive paint, on bodywork or on motorcycle fairings, there are different mother-of-pearl, aluminum or polyester particles, each of which has particular qualities and disadvantages.

Unlike an opaque micronized pigment (a flat color), automotive paint flake refers to a "large" pigment or particle that reflects light strongly, with a colorless or colored sheen. The sizes of a flake are much greater than that of mother-of-pearl or aluminum, these primary components of body paint. Indeed, we speak of flakes when the particle reaches at least a diameter of 100µm.

There are flakes reaching an extreme size, little used in custom painting, up to 2000 or 4000µm, that is to say 2 or 4 millimeters, while the standard size is 200µm. What will differentiate between glitter types is thickness, opacity/transparency and visual effect.

Applying glitter for car paint

Depending on the different characteristics of the flakes, the painter or the client makes his choice, knowing the application methods, and in particular the application constraints The implementation of "Metal Flakes" (Standard, Cosmic or Iridescent) : Apart from dry application with a "Flakebuster", the painter must simply use a large paint gun, as simple as possible. A primer gun is preferably used, with a large nozzle (1.5 mm). Automotive paint flakes do not apply like paint at all. This mixture, made up of transparent and glitter, is projected at a greater distance from the support (approximately 30 – 40 cm) : you can see the hundreds of glitter being propelled and landing on the surface in a more homogeneous way.

Unlike conventional automotive paint, it is important to "cross the passes" and apply strong trigger pulls to prevent a clog of flakes from forming in the cup duct. It is important to shake, stir the paint gun regularly, in order to keep the glitter in suspension in the transparent. Body paint flakes should be sprayed on until the bottom has been covered. Namely : the larger the sequins, the less it will be possible to cover 100% of the background. For this reason, care will have been taken to apply either a background in the color of the glitter, or a black background.

How to apply white glitter paint ?

Why should a black background be applied ? There is only one special case, the white glitter, and for this we will explain how to apply a white glitter paint. The reason is simple, black absorbs light and white reflects it. Therefore, when applying sequins to a background, the darker the background is chosen, the less the background will compete with the reflective sequin, and therefore, we will obtain an optimal effect and visibility of the sequin.

Types of bodywork paint flakes