How to protect your Candy® bodywork ?

In the field of customizing bodywork and fairings, special inks are used to produce what is called candy paint. These inks are used as added tints in varnishes or binders, and show varying levels of UV resistance. Should we apply an additional varnish on a Candy painting ? How to improve the life of these Candy varnishes ?

It is not mandatory to varnish, unless you used a 1C basecoat. In any case, transparent automotive finishes (2C polyurethane acrylics) naturally have the power to protect against the sun's rays. As a result, the more layers you apply, the greater the final thickness will be and therefore, the more the color underneath will be protected.
The second positive point is that the varnishing will allow a better shine and will give , beyond 5 layers, a permanent impression of "water" or "wet lacquer" effect, coupled with a mirror effect.

Which varnish to choose for your Candy paint ?

Any brand or body reference is suitable, provided it is a high quality product with a high solids content (UHS or Super UHS).

Adding an additive to block the action of UVs is recommended : this is an anti-UV additive that absorbs and filters ultra-violet rays very effectively (maximum dosage of 1.5% in the varnish and/or 3% in the layers below).

It is not advisable to add pearls or glitter in the varnish on a Candy paint. The varnish should be clear and shiny.

Finally, to keep a Candy varnish for many years, it is important not to expose your vehicle to the sun for long periods of time and to avoid overheating the metal which can damage the colors of the Candy varnishes.

How are Candy obtained ?

Candy shades are totally translucent. On the contrary, various and varied pigments, which are insoluble micro-pigments, are more or less opaque.
In fact, Candy are soluble salts obtained from metal oxides. Soluble, this means that the color has completely dissolved in the medium and that, even looking under a microscope, you will not be able to find a pigment particle.

The Resistance of the Candy

They are based on the so-called Blue Wool scale. It is a graduated scale from 1 (minimum resistance) to 8 (maximum, excellent resistance), used to rate the color degradation rate of pigments under the action of UVs.
The Candy used by Stardust have ratings from 6 to 8.
A certain Cobalt shade has a very low resistance of 3.
The most resistant colors are yellows, browns and reds.

How to make candy paint with beautiful colors ?
Candy paint undercoat
Candy spray paint
How to make deep red candy paint ?