Custom Paint Finish in Vaughan, North York & GTA
With Modern Automotive, you can receive matte finish on your car - and it is not that difficult! Like any other paint work, a matte finish includes several layers of paint (could be either all the same colours or different) laid down over one another and then topped with a clear coat. Yes, matte finish does use a clear coat, just like a regular finish! However, it is a special one made specifically for use with this style of paint.
Types of Matte Paint
Much like with any other paint work, you have several options when applying your new finish. Most auto paint manufacturers refer to their matte products as ‘flat’ finish if they are a true matte paint. You can also choose something in-between, such as satin, which offers some luster without the syrupy look of high-gloss or metallic paint. The real secret behind keeping your vehicle from reflecting any light is the appropriate clear coat.
Even if you go with a somewhat shiny mid-coat, a matte clear coat on top of it will knock down the vibrancy to achieve the desired effect.
Semi-Gloss
Most of the matte finish paint you see on the streets falls into this category. As opposed to the more common style of paint used for automobile, a two to three-stage gloss finish, semi-gloss finish reflects less light. The flat black, hot-rod look typically uses semi-gloss paint as opposed to shinier satin-finish.
Keep in mind that with any type of matte paint, you should avoid using traditional solid wax. Otherwise, you may damage the finish, so opt for a spray wax or matte-specific product instead.
Single-Stage vs. Dual-Stage or Multi-Stage
Recently, people who were interested in applying a matte finish on a budget have chosen to apply single-stage matte paint. There is nothing significantly wrong with this, as the paint will still seal the automobile exterior and protect it from external elements to some degree, but there’s nothing there to protect the paint the way a clear coat would.
Two-stage paint includes an additional clear coat, intended to keep interference from dust and minor rubs from damaging your paint. In addition, it allows you to polish the paint. A single-stage paint job will be too difficult to maintain, because every time you polish it, you will be removing a small amount of the only layer of paint on the car.
Multi-stage paint jobs are generally not necessary to achieve the desired matte effect, even though some manufacturers use them to get specific effects or add depth to certain colors. You have likely seen a multi-stage finish on a car with “candy” finish, which gives the illusion of extreme depth through the application of several different colours and clear coats.
Satin
Satin paint is another type of matte finish, yet it adds a little more luster. It does reflect some amount of light and often needs a special type of the top clear coat.
In case you are interested in getting a subtle paint job, but still want it to be different from regular matte options, satin finish could be the perfect choice. We are not by any means recommending you to pick up a can of satin black rattle-can spray paint. There exist high-quality satin black products that will deliver a finish on par with what manufacturers are offering.
Typically, satin finish is done in black colour, even though you can apply virtually any colour if you wanted to.
Rhino Liner
Do you have an SUV, an off-roader, or a pickup truck that you never want to worry about cleaning? Rhino liner finish is not only meant for the bed of your truck. This finish is probably not the best choice for sports-car enthusiasts concerned with every gram of weight, as it will probably add a few pounds to your vehicle. However, does it really matter when you leave the trail with twice that much in mud caked on?
Rhino liner is all but undestructible - there is not even a clear coat to worry about. Old Broncos, Blazers, and Land Rovers, Broncos look amazing in it, and, after you are done on the trail, you can simply point a power washer at the automobile and have it clean as new. With this type of coat, black colour is the easiest to find, but if you search hard enough, you may find army green and a few other hues.
Patina
Just like well-loved family heirloom, patina finish is that ideal balance of class and character that develops over years of use. Having a patina finish is not the same as your vehicle being “ratty,” even though ratty muscle cars are definitely earning quite a lot of attention these days.
Professionals apply a variety of techniques to achieve artificial patina, such as adding faux fading and oxidization. In this process, special salt solutions are created, and then the bare metal or partially painted portions of the car are treated, making them “age” quickly.
The Ratty Look
As opposed to the “billet” movement, which gained popularity approximately a decade ago and still has quite a bit of fans, many modern-day muscle-car guys are opting for the ratty look of their automobiles. This is not exactly a matte paint finish, but it is the farthest thing from the high-gloss, shiny finish the other camp prefers.
Ratty cars are covered in paint that is either oxidized or missing completely. They often include a few different colours, which could result from using parts from different cars or simply a paint technique to give this illusion.
Polished
Polished is a style that looked posh enough for Jaguar and Bugatti to employ in show cars, and they are definitely not the only ones. However, depending on where you live, and the material you have to deal witg, this could be not the best idea.
A bare metal vehicle can be polished to add some texture, either to a mirror-shiny finish or using another technique. For example, for the super limited edition of Bugatti’s Veyron, the car was presented in polished aluminum. However, sealing this finish against external elements can present a significant challenge.
The Finishing Touches
If you really want to accentuate your matte finish, it is crucial to dry the paint as quickly as possible. This means that you will require some sort of heating equipment to bake your newly painted parts, or you will have to wait for a sizzling-hot day.
Once you have the new paint finish applied, you can finish your car’s new look with hot blackened metal parts in your trim and exhaust, or by adding darkened window tint. However, make sure that you do not exceed the legal limit for the darkness of auto glass.
Overall, you don’t need to have a vintage hot-rod to go for a cool matte finish. Add it to your modern ride and stand out from the crowd.
For further information, contact Modern Automotive car paint shop, we provide custom car paint services all over the GTA including Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Toronto, Newmarket, Aurora, Mississauga, Brampton and more.