A simple list of commonly used automotive paint-related terms…
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Abrasion Resistance | Resistance to being worn away by rubbing or by friction; related more to toughness than to hardness. A necessary quality for automotive finish durability. |
| Abrasive | Used for wearing away a surface by rubbing. Examples are sandpaper, steel wool, compound, clay, scotch-brite, etc. |
| Accelerator | A chemical that can be added to some paints to speed the curing time. |
| Acrylic | Synthetic resin used in a latex coating with good gloss and color retention. |
| Acrylic Enamel | Chemically enhanced enamel formulas are the mainstay of modern refinishing products. Many acrylic enamels recommend a catalyst, while others require it, to induce chemical reactions that produce a paint film of remarkable durability, chemical resistance, and gloss. Acrylic enamels can be polished like lacquer to a mirror finish. |
| Adhesion | The ability of a coating to stick to a surface. |
| Aerosol | A product feature that uses compressed gas to spray the product from its container. |
| Alkali | A substance such as lye, soda, or lime that can be highly destructive to paint films. |
| Alkyd | Synthetic resin modified with oil. Common in the early automotive enamels in the ?60s, offered good adhesion to a clean surface, and good gloss, color retention, and flexibility, but tended to chalk out sooner and offer a shorter life that either the pervious lacquers, or the later acrylic enamels. Slow-drying. |
| Anti-Corrosive Paint | Metal paint designed to inhibit corrosion. Applied directly to metal. |
| Benzene | Powerful but highly toxic and flammable solvent, usually restricted to spray application. |
| Benzine | Often used as a lacquer dilutent. Highly volatile and a fire hazard in shipping and storing. |
| Binder | Film-forming ingredient in paint that binds the pigment particles together. |
| Bleeding | Undercoat staining through the top coat. |
| Blistering | The formation of bubbles or pimples on the painted surface caused by moisture or other contamination, by painting before the previous coat has dried thoroughly, or by excessive heat. |
| Blocking | Sanding primer or topcoats by hand with a flat backing surface such as a long-board or rubber sanding block. |
| Blushing | A gloss film turning flat or a clear lacquer turning white, usually caused by moisture |
| Build | Thickness or depth of paint film. |
| Catalyst | An ingredient that speeds up a chemical reaction; sometimes used in two-component paint systems. Sometimes referred to as activators, catalysts contain chemicals that interact with the resins of the base paint allowing it to cure more rapidly. |
| Chalking | The formation of a loose powder on the surface of a paint after exposure to the elements. |
| Checking | A kind of paint failure in which many small cracks appear in the surface of the paint. |
| Clear Coating | A transparent protective and/or decorative film. |
| Cohesion | Attraction of molecules within a coating [how it holds together). |
| Colorant | Concentrated color that can be added to paints to make specific colors. |
| Coverage | The area over which a given amount of Paint will spread and hide the previous surface. (Usually expressed in square feet per gallon). |
| Crazing | Small, interlacing cracks on surface of finish. |
| Curing | Final conversion or drying of a coating material. |
| Diluent | Another term for solvents used to thin paint. |
| Drier | A paint ingredient that aids the drying or hardening of the film. |
| Dry Dust Free | That stage of drying when particles of dust that settle upon the surface do not stick to the paint film. |
| Dry Tack Free | That stage of drying when the paint no longer feels sticky, or tacky when lightly touched. |
| Dry To Handle | That stage of drying when a paint film has hardened sufficiently so the object or surface painted may be used without marring. |
| Dry To Recoat | That stage of drying when the next coat can be applied. |
| Dry To Sand | That stage of drying when a paint film can be sanded without the sandpaper sticking or clogging |
| Durability | The ability of paint to last or hold up well against destructive agents such as weather, sunlight, detergents, air pollution, abrasion, or marring. |
| Enamel | Broad classification Paints that dry to a hard finish. Enamel is a general term covering a wide range of paint, including hardware store spray cans. Single-stage alkyd automotive refinish enamels have been replaced by acrylic enamel which generally gives you the option of using a hardener or catalyst. Urethane enamels are even more durable and require a catalyst. |
| Epoxy | Clear finish having excellent adhesion qualities; extremely abrasion and chemical resistant. Epoxies are alcohol proof and very water resistant. |
| Etch | Surface Preparation by chemical means to improve the adhesion of coatings. |
| Etching Primer | A primer with ingredients that etch into bare metal for better adhesion, also referred to as self-etching primer. Primarily used to prep bare metal. |
| Fading | The loss of color due to exposure to light, heat, or weathering. |
| Feather Sanding | Tapering the edge of dried paint film with sandpaper. |
| Filler | Any material designed to fill surface flaws, from polyester body filler, spot putties and glazes, to primer surfacers. |
| Film | Layer or coat of paint or other material applied to a surface. |
| Finish Coat | Last coat of paint or other finish. |
| Fish-Eye | Small circular depressions nearly devoid of paint usually caused by surface contamination with oils or silicones |
| Flash | The time required for the majority of the quick-evaporating solvents in the material being sprayed to evaporate or “flash” from the surface. |
| Flash Point | The temperature at which a coating or solvent will ignite. |
| Flat | A painted surface that scatters or absorbs the light failing on it, so as to be substantially free from gloss or sheen. |
| Flexibility | Ability of a coating to expand and contract during temperature changes. |
| Floating | Separation of pigment colors on the surface of applied paint. |
| Flowout | The desirable characteristic of droplets of sprayed material to meld together and level into a glass-smooth surface. Air pressure, gun atomization, and the amount of material being applied as well as the mixture of the paint all affect flow |
| Galvanized | A thin coating of zinc that covers iron or steel to prevent rust. |
| Glaze | Material used to fill minor imperfections or improve the surface quality of body filler. Glazing putty was traditionally a single-component acrylic, although today catalyzed putties are available that reduce shrinkage. Fine grain and easy sanding are the main characteristics of glaze. |
| Gloss | The luster or shininess of paints and coatings are generally classified as flat, semi-gloss, or gloss; the latter has the highest reflecting ability. |
| Gloss Meter | A standard scale for measuring the shininess light reflectance of paint. |
| Hardness | The ability of a paint film to resist denting, scratching, or marring. |
| Hold-Out | The ability of a paint film to dry to its normal finish on a somewhat absorptive surface. |
| Hvlp | Stands for High-Volume, Low-Pressure; it refers to the design of modern spray equipment, initially introduced to meet air-quality regulations by reducing airborne overspray. |
| Inhibitor | Material such as primer used to retard rusting or corrosion. |
| Intercoat Adhesion | The adhesion between two coats of paint. |
| Intermediate Coat | The coating between the primer and finish, often called a barrier coat. |
| Lacquer | The old standard for custom paint work, lacquers are a distinct paint type characterized by fast drying times and the ability to be polished to a beautiful luster. Poor durability and chemical resistance are the downside. |
| Lap | To lay or place one coat so its edge extends over and covers the edge of a previous coat, causing an increased film thickness. |
| Leveling | Ability of a film to flow out free from ripples, pock- marks, and brush marks after application. |
| Lifting | The softening and penetration of a previous film by solvents in the Paint being applied over it, resulting in raising and wrinkling. |
| Lightfastness | No loss of color due to exposure to light, heat, or weathering. |
| Masking | Temporary covering of areas not to be painted. |
| Masking Tape | A strip of paper or cloth similar to adhesive tape, which can be easily removed, used to temporarily cover areas that are not to be painted. |
| Metallics | A class of paints that include metal flakes in their composition. |
| Mineral Spirits | Paint thinners or solvents derived from petroleum. |
| Mixing Ratios | The amount of various components in the proper proportion to produce the final mix for spraying. |
| Nonvolatile | The portion of a paint left after the solvent evaporates; sometimes called the solids content. |
| Opacity | Ability of a paint to hide the previous surface or color. |
| Opaque Coating | A coating that hides the previous surface coating. |
| Orange Peel | A surface flaw in which the paint goes on with too much texture. Usually caused by improper reducing or air pressure. |
| Paint Gauge | Instrument for measuring the thickness of paint film. |
| Paint Remover | A compound that softens old Paint or varnish and permits scraping off the loosened material. |
| Peeling | Detachment of a dried paint film in relatively large pieces, usually caused by moisture or grease under the painted surface. |
| Pigments | Paint ingredients mainly used to impart color and hiding power. |
| Pin Holes | Small pin-sized holes in the paint, resulting from too much solvent, inadequate flash time, or surface contamination. |
| Polyurethane | Wide range of coatings, ranging from hard glossy enamels to soft flexible coatings. Good to very good adhesion, hardness, flexibility, and resistance. Surface preparation critical. |
| Pot Life | Amount of time after mixing a two-part Paint system during which it can be applied. |
| Prime Coat Or Primer | The first coat or undercoat that helps bind the top coat to the substrate. |
| Propellant | The gas used to expel materials from aerosol containers. |
| Reducer | A solvent used to thin (reduce) enamels, urethanes, and epoxies. |
| Removers | Substances used to soften old paint so they may be removed easily. |
| Resin | A natural or synthetic material that is the main ingredient of paint and that binds ingredients together. It also aids adhesion to the surface. |
| Runs | Blemished film caused by excessive flow of coating. |
| Rust Preventive Paint Or Primer | The first coat of paint applied directly to iron or steel structures to slow down or prevent rust. |
| Sags | Excessive flow, causing runs or sagging in paint film during application. Usually caused by applying too heavy a coat of paint or thinning too much. |
| Sealer | A thin liquid applied to seal a surface, to prevent previous paint from bleeding through from the surface, or to prevent undue absorption of the topcoat into the substrate. |
| Sealing Primer | A primer used to isolate the existing substrate, or to provide some filling and surface enhancement under the final finish. |
| Seeds | Small, undesirable particles or granules other than dust found in a paint. |
| Settling | Paint separation in which pigments and other solids accumulate at the bottom of the container. |
| Shrinkage | The characteristic of paint or filler to “shrink” with time as a full cure is reached, making surface flaws and sanding scratches reappear. Common with lacquer-based primers or acrylic spot putties. |
| Silicone | See Resin. |
| Single-Stage | A paint system in which the color and gloss properties are both contained in a single topcoat product. |
| Skin | Tough covering that forms on paints if container is not tightly sealed. |
| Solids | See Nonvolatile. |
| Solvent | The volatile part of paint composition that evaporates during drying. |
| Spot Priming | A method for protecting localized spots. The only areas primed are those that require additional protection due to rusting or peeling of the former coat. |
| Spraying | A method of application in which the coating material is broken up into a fine mist that is directed onto the surface to be coated. |
| Streaking | The irregular occurrence of lines or streaks of various lengths and colors in an applied film; usually caused by some form of contamination. |
| Strip | Removal of old finishes with paint removers. |
| Styrene-Butadiene | See Resin. |
| Substrate | Surface to be painted. |
| Surfacing Primer Or Primer/Surfacer | A primer designed specifically to build thickness for filling shallow surface flaws by sanding. |
| Tack Rag | A piece of loosely woven cloth that has been dipped into a varnish oil and wrung out. When it becomes tacky of sticky, it is used to wipe a surface to remove small particles of dust. |
| Tacky | Sticky condition of coating during drying, between wet and dry-to-touch stage. |
| Texture | The roughness or irregularity of a surface. |
| Thinner | Solvent used to thin lacquer-based products — similar to REDUCERS used in enamels & urethanes. |
| Touch Up | The ability of a coating film to be spot repaired (usually within a few months of initial painting) without showing color or gloss differences. |
| Two Stage | A paint system in which the color is applied as a primary product (basecoat) followed by a clearcoat to provide gloss and reflectivity. |
| Undercoat | A primer or intermediate coating applied before the finish coating. |
| Urethane | Similar to acrylic enamels, but using urethane resins. Urethane has most of the desirable features of acrylic enamel but with enhanced durability, although they generally dry slower. |
| Vehicle | The liquid portion of a paint composed mainly of solvents, resins, or oils. |
| Viscosity | The thickness of a coating as related to its ability to flow as a liquid. |
| Voc | Volatile organic chemicals; the VOC level of the final sprayable mix of the various paint and undercoat products is highly regulated in some regions. |
| Water Spotting | A Paint appearance defect caused by water droplets. |
| Weathering | The effect of exposure to weather on paint films. |
| Wet Edge | Length of time paint can stand before applying additional material without showing a lap. |
| Wet-Sanding | Sanding with wet-type sandpaper with water to clean away the sanding debris. Creates a higher-quality surface than dry sanding and makes the paper last longer without clogging up. |
| Wrinkling | Development of ridges and furrows in a paint film when the paint dries. |
| Yellowing | Development of a yellow color or cast in white, pastels, colored, or clear finishes. |
| Zinc Chromate | Rust-inhibiting Pigment, greenish-yellow in color, that are used with a high-hiding pigment. |
