DESIGN & FINISHING GUIDE

A Guide to Painting & Coating

Painting is the most versatile way to achieve a specific color, gloss, and texture on your custom parts. This guide covers the process and best practices for a perfect finish.

The Path to a Flawless Finish

Achieving a high-quality painted finish is a multi-step, skill-intensive process.

1. Surface Preparation

The part is meticulously sanded to remove all blemishes, tool marks, or layer lines. It is then thoroughly cleaned and degreased to ensure proper paint adhesion.

2. Priming

One or more coats of primer are applied. The primer creates a uniform, stable surface for the color coat to adhere to and helps to hide any minor surface imperfections.

3. Color Coat

The colored paint is applied in a controlled spray booth. Multiple thin layers are often used to build up a smooth, even color. We can match any RAL or Pantone color standard.

4. Clear Coat

For maximum durability and to achieve a specific gloss level (matte, satin, or high-gloss), a final protective clear coat is applied over the color coat.

Specialty Coatings

Beyond standard colors, we can apply a range of specialty coatings to achieve specific functional or aesthetic properties.

Soft-Touch Paint: A special clear coat that provides a soft, velvety, rubber-like feel to a rigid plastic part, significantly enhancing its ergonomics.
EMI/RFI Shielding Paint: A paint containing conductive particles (like nickel or copper) that is applied to the inside of a plastic enclosure to block electromagnetic interference.
Ceramic Coatings (e.g., Cerakote™): An ultra-thin, hard ceramic coating that provides extreme hardness, wear resistance, and thermal insulation.

A high-gloss UV clear coat being applied to a part

Painting & Coating FAQ

What is the difference between painting and powder coating?

Painting uses a liquid paint that dries via solvent evaporation or a chemical reaction. Powder coating uses a dry powder that is electrostatically applied and then melted and cured in an oven. Powder coating is generally thicker, more durable, and only for metals. Painting is more versatile, can be applied to plastics, and is better for achieving very high-gloss, Class-A finishes.

How do I specify a custom color?

The best way is to provide a universal color code from a system like Pantone (PMS) or RAL. This allows our technicians to precisely mix the paint to match a known standard. Providing a physical sample is also an excellent option.