Helmet painting techniques: Specificities and tips

The practice of spray painting and the art of customizing vehicles and objects is an exciting field: painting a motorcycle helmet is one of these possibilities and we want to explore this with you by presenting here the main ones specificities of the techniques applied to helmet painting.

In summary here are all the steps for painting a helmet. We present point by point in the article below, all the details and tips for successfully custom painting a motorcycle helmet. This article does not replace practice, but it will be of great help to you.

Step 1 ► Masking and protection

Step 2 ► Sanding and removing adhesives

Step 3 ► Applying a filling primer or primer, drying then sanding

Step 4 ► Application of paints and decorations

Step 5 ► Masking and stencils

Step 6 ► Varnishing

Are you wondering about the type of paint that is compatible with motorcycle helmets? We answer this question in detail in the last paragraph. In short, all the solvent or “hydro” paints that we offer are suitable for personalized painting on helmets.

How to paint on a helmet? The three preliminary steps

Tools for customizing a helmet:

It is possible to create decorations, logos and color bands with an airbrush fitted with the largest possible nozzle. However, it is difficult to do all the work of decorating a helmet with an airbrush: the primers are much too thick and the varnishing would have to be done with a spray gun to be done correctly. A varnish must be applied with sufficient thickness to be shiny and an airbrush does not send enough material.
We therefore recommend using a gun, for example a mini gun for all or part of the decoration work on the helmet.

Bodywork consumables to decorate a helmet
♦ adhesive lines and paper adhesives, or transparent adhesive film
♦ the scalpel and the sticky pad
♦ abrasive sheets and abrasive sponges

Step 1 ► Masking and protection

The various sanding and painting jobs may dirty and stain all the fabric and foam parts, as well as the rubber parts. Before painting a helmet, all areas that should not be touched by paint must be protected with masking adhesives.

Rather than using classic yellow adhesive paper, we recommend applying flexible PVC adhesive lines which allow you to follow all the reliefs and curves of the helmet more easily with very high precision. On the other hand, these lines are particularly easy to remove and they are very resistant. We place the paper adhesives on these lines and cut off the excess with the scalpel.

♣ This work of applying adhesive and protection may have to be redone because it is not certain that these protections will resist when painting a helmet with the numerous layers of paint, as well as the sanding phases at the water.

♣ It is not recommended to keep the same protective adhesive throughout the painting process. In fact, many layers will be applied over a period of several days. The layers of paint will solidify on the adhesive and it will be impossible to peel it off without tearing the paint into shreds. It is therefore preferable to change the protection after approximately 3 coats of paint.

Step 2 ► Sanding and removing adhesives

Before painting the helmet, sanding is an essential step which has two essential functions: perfecting the surface and allowing adhesion.

Sanding should only be done with grits between P320 and P500, never below (to avoid creating scratches) and never above (to maintain guaranteed adhesion).

When we talk about sanding, we must understand that it is a superficial sanding and in no case will it be a stripping down to the plastic.

Adhesives are present on the helmets, more precisely, they are housed under the varnish. It is absolutely necessary to remove them by sanding the varnish, then using a heat gun which will facilitate their removal with the tip of a scalpel.

Sanding with 320 grit sandpaper will even out the level differences as much as possible.

Step 3 ► Applying the primer, drying then sanding the helmet.

Using a primer helps create the perfect surface conditions before you begin the painting job. The primer is a thick and easy to sand product, which will create a layer thick enough to fill and level all the small micro surface defects.
Of course, this product is not intended to stay on the helmet entirely. It is advisable to reduce its thickness as much as possible when sanding.

Sanding a helmet, which is a spherical surface, is not done with a sander or with a sanding block. This is work that is done by hand. We always recommend sanding with water rather than dry sanding, in order to limit heating, flying dust and premature clogging of the abrasive sheets.

Once sanding is complete, rinse the surface, clean it, then dry it. With your hand, you can caress the surface to feel if any imperfections remain.

It is advisable to apply a neutral and homogeneous background color, before starting the decoration with various and varied colors.

Decors and customization painting on helmet

The surface to be painted on a helmet is less than 0.3 m². This allows maximum detail and work to be concentrated on this small surface. The art of helmet painting is a specialty that certain painters specializing in the customization of motorcycle helmets have adopted. Customers are motorcycle racing professionals or simple individuals. The decorations are often of great complexity and variety, both with the techniques used, but also the type of colors, special effects and pigments.

Step 4 ► Application of paints and decorations

The paints used are essentially “two-coat” type paints, also called “matt bases”. These are one-component paints, very easy to use, which dry and harden by evaporation.

The sophisticated decorations of motorcycle helmets are obtained by the succession of numerous layers of colors and pigments. Each painting phase must be completely dry and sanded before being able to apply the adhesives.

Sanding allows cohesion between layers. It should neither be too big nor too thin. It must be made with P500 grain mainly. If sanding is not done well, then peeling phenomena when removing adhesives and stencils are inevitable.

♣ It should be noted that sanding certain paints, for example transparent paints, pearly and metallic paints, or chameleons, should only be done with abrasive sponges, so as not to damage them.

Step 5 ► Masking and stencils

This is an art that leaves room for creativity and ingenuity. Each decoration is made possible by a masking technique using adhesives, often crisscrossed, meticulously thought out and prepared before their installation. The applications of the different adhesives, such as adhesive lines, paper tapes and transparent adhesive films, are made with surgical precision and are cut using a scalpel.

The patterns can be drawn by hand on transparent adhesive films, or cut out with cutting printers called “plotters”.

It is also possible to apply logo adhesives from the printer and there are even metallic and holographic adhesive lines.

It is common to see specialties, rare products, such as certain rainbow glitter or certain gold leaf being incorporated into the artistic composition that constitutes the personalized painting.

Step 6 ► Varnishing

Varnishing is the essential step which constitutes the “icing on the cake”, the completion of all the work carried out on the helmet. The varnish provides shine (or matte effect) and allows the sealing and protection of the helmet and paints against rain, abrasion and the sun.
Of course, we use a quality varnish, a 2-component varnish, similar to that usually used on motorcycle and car bodies.

The varnishing is done in 2 coats. It thus makes it possible to effectively protect all layers of paint and also to level out unevenness and “staircases” generated by decorations and adhesives.

What paints are compatible with a motorcycle helmet?

There is a common belief that some paints are not compatible with helmets and some other paints would be compatible with helmets.

To clarify this subject, all professional body paints and all airbrush paints are compatible with helmets.

In the event of a motorcyclist accident, the emergency services are instructed to take X-rays of the injured person without removing their helmet. Old paints containing lead could block X-rays. Modern paints no longer contain lead. As for aluminum-based metallic paints, they are so thin that it is unlikely that they will block X-rays. Pearlescent paints and other colors do not block X-rays.

Regarding the warranty, it is obvious that once the helmet is “modified” following customization, the manufacturer of a helmet can easily deny all responsibility and provision of the guarantee. Of course, no paint weakens a helmet.

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