When you look at a vehicle, what is the first thing you see?
For many people, the quality of the paint reflects the care that an automobile receives from its owner. When it’s sparkly, bold, and bright, it delivers a positive first impression.
When those elements aren’t present, the emotional connection to the vehicle can be non-existent.
Some people have preferences on the type of paint used. That’s why understanding the differences between candy, pearl, and metallic is crucial for those seeking a custom look.
What Is the Difference Between Candy, Pearl, and Metallic?
Candy colors use a metallic undercoat while having a tinted transparent top coat to create the desired color. Pearl paint uses tiny flecks of iridescent mica in a clear coating to act as a binder for standard pigments to give that look extra depth. Metallic finishes used powdered metal in the paint to reflect more light.
First impressions matter. When you see a beautiful car, one of the first things you’ll notice is its paint job.
If it looks bright, bold, and colorful, you’ll be attracted to the sight. The glimmer and reflection of a polished exterior encourage an investigation into the rest of the setup, especially when you’re looking at a custom ride.
A poor first impression is created when the exterior paint looks faded, dull, or botchy. Even if the rest of the vehicle is immaculate, getting beyond that initial introduction is tough.
A custom paint job makes a vehicle pop like nothing else on a sunny day. Whether you’re headed to a show or a drive around town, you’ll need some specific automotive paints to achieve your desired look.
These paints offer specific additives that provide unique effects that encourage reflection, glow, and sparkle.
The three most common options are candy, pearl, and metallic. If you’re thinking about updating your vehicle, here is a closer look at these choices.
What to Know About Candy Paint?
Candy paint is a mid-coat option. It’s always applied over your preferred base color. The best options are essentially a clear coat with tinting, including pearl or metallic additives, that offer translucence to the vehicle’s exterior.
Before applying candy paint, you must place a base coat on the vehicle first. If you don’t take that step, you’ll see the primer through the base color. That ruins the desired effect.
Most candy paint setups use gold or metallic silver base coat. It depends on how dark you want that first impression to be. If you want something lighter or brighter, white is a suitable alternative. You want the light to shine through the translucence to create visual depth.
You can change the color’s tone or shade by adding more coats in specific areas to create a custom effect.
That makes the candy finish one of the most customizable options available. It also tends to be the one that’s the toughest to get right.
The coats need to lay evenly and look the same to ensure everything looks cohesive. If there are inconsistencies in your painting or spraying techniques, you can see the abrupt changes or modeling in the eventual result.
What to Know About Pearl Paint?
Pearl paint looks its best when the effects are subtle. The vehicle tends to provide the best visual representation when it isn’t in direct sunlight. Many modern cars use this option on common colors, including white, to add some extra visual interest when it isn’t in the sun.
Pearl stands for “pearlescent.” This option is a mid-coat when creating a new look. It’s applied over a base color, which then needs a topcoat applied to it to provide protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
You can also put a clear coat layer on top of the pearl paint to get some extra shine.
The paint gets its trademark look by having iridescent mica added to it. When the material is applied over white colors or in the mid-coat, you see a glimmer in the paint that changes based on your visual angle. That means it’ll look different in one direction and another.
Pearl paint is typically easier to apply than a candy finish, but it does require even spraying to have a positive outcome.
You’ll need to use tools that offer a consistent flow to avoid a blotchy outcome from uneven sprays.
What to Know About Metallic Paint?
Metallic paint is the most common finish you’ll find on vehicles today. It is also the oldest option still in use, even for custom looks.
The first metallic paints were used by automakers in the late 1920s. It uses powdered metal in the product to reflect additional light than what you receive from a standard glossy product. You can also get more color depth and sparkle when using this option.
Metallic paint first started with fine flakes, but it has become more diversified as the size and shape of the additions change.
Some new vehicles even look like marine vessels with the looks they’re given.
Since the metallic bits float in the paint while it’s applied, it’s essential to use a product that maintains the product flow well.
Any clogging issues could result in an over-or under-production of flakes in specific areas.
The challenge with metallic paint is trying to color match your panels. If you’re doing the custom work yourself, it helps to place each item next to each other to avoid slight development differences.
It might be necessary to add flakes directly to the mid-coat or paint layer to add extra shimmer.
If you use a product with large flakes or thicker paint, a larger spray gun tip is likely needed.
How to Paint Your Car Like a Professional
When you’re ready to give your vehicle a custom look, here are the steps to take to ensure you have a positive experience.
1. Remove the Rust
A great paint job starts when you have a rust-free foundation. If you don’t get rid of the corrosion, the exterior will eventually bubble and peel.
Removing it from the vehicle requires you to grind the area. You might need to weld some patches if the rust ate through the panel.
Once you’ve removed the rust, you’ll need to patch the areas. If you paint directly over the metal, there will be gaps that you see because the surface will be rough.
Bondo All-Purpose Putty does an excellent job of giving you the fill needed after removing corroded areas with its non-shrinking formula.
2. Get Your Panels Straight
Panel straightening is often the most time-consuming element of giving a vehicle a new paint job. You’ll need to add filler to make it straight and symmetrical to ensure a perfect fit occurs.
It is possible to straighten some panels with a hammer and a dolly, but most need a body filler that tackles the imperfections and voids found on the panels.
After applying the filler to the panels, the key to a great custom paint job is to sand, sand, and sand some more.
Random orbital sanders, air files, and power sanders get through most of the work, but you’ll need to do some block-sanding by hand.
Blocking lets you knock off the high filler spots, ensuring that the edges and surfaces are straight and smooth. Try using diagonal strokes with a metal ruler to ensure you’re following the panel’s contours.
3. Apply the Primer
Once you’ve completed the rust removal and metalwork, it’s time to think about your paint. You don’t start by applying a candy, pearl, or metallic finish immediately.
The vehicle must be primed with a high-quality primer to ensure the paint you select sits on a firm foundation.
The goal of primer is to create a smooth and consistent surface that bonds to the exterior. Your paint, fillers, and metals should be compatible with the product selected.
I like to use a primer-surfacer product for the final preparation step before putting the paint on the vehicle.
My preferred product is the Eastwood 2K Urethane Primer. You can apply it over old paint, epoxy primer, body filler, and other materials.
It mixes with a ratio of four to one with an activator. You’ll find that it builds quickly, fills well, and dries fast. You’ll need to sand it once you’ve given it a good coat to ensure your surface is smooth.
When I’m applying the primer, I use the TCP Global Complete Professional 9 Piece HVLP Spray Gun Set.
It connects to my air supply, providing an even surface that reduces the amount of sanding time that’s needed for a consistent appearance.
You get different fluid tip sizes that handle everything from light primers to heavy viscosity coatings.
4. Choose the Paint
Here’s the step where you get to decide on a candy, pearl, or metallic finish. Some products offer a single-stage paint system where everything is included in a single can, including additives, pigment, and UV protection. Just load up your spray gun and go!
Others use a base and a clear coat option. If you want a pearl look, this choice is the best way to achieve the results you want.
5. Tape the Car
Before painting, don’t forget to tape off the car. Don’t use newspaper because it tends to be a porous material. Before you get started, wipe down everything with a tack cloth to ensure no debris or dust affects the paint.
Knowing the difference between candy, pearl, and metallic paint ensures a vehicle achieves a desirable look without added effort. Each product delivers a different and specific result to consider.
