- Surface preparation
- The cleaning, stripping, sanding, treating, and priming of a substrate so the coatings that follow will adhere and lie flat. Most refinish defects trace back to prep.
- Substrate
- The surface being refinished — steel, aluminum, fiberglass, or plastic. Each needs its own cleaning, sanding, and primer choice for adhesion.
- Wax and grease remover
- A solvent cleaner that lifts wax, oil, silicone, and road film before sanding, applied and wiped with the two-cloth method so contaminants are carried away.
- Two-cloth method
- Apply wax and grease remover with one clean cloth and wipe it dry with a second before it evaporates, so dissolved contaminants are removed, not re-deposited.
- Clean before AND after sanding
- Decontaminate the panel before sanding so abrasives don't drive in contaminants, and again after, because fresh sanding exposes new surface that must be re-cleaned.
- Featheredging
- Sanding broken paint edges around a repair into a smooth, gradual taper so the layered edge of the old finish won't telegraph through the new coats. Usually finished ~180-grit.
- Guide coat
- A contrasting dusting of powder or light spray over primer surfacer; as a block cuts the highs, remaining guide coat marks the lows. Sanded off before color.
- Block (board) sanding
- Sanding with a long, rigid block in cross-hatched strokes so it bridges high spot to high spot and levels the surface instead of following the lows.
- Self-etching primer
- A primer with acid (usually phosphoric) that micro-etches bare metal for adhesion and some corrosion protection. Applied thin; it is not a high-build filler.
- Epoxy primer
- A non-porous, moisture-resistant primer that bonds well to clean bare metal and is an excellent corrosion barrier; often the first coat on bare steel.
- Primer surfacer
- A high-build undercoat that fills sand scratches and minor imperfections and is block-sanded flat for a level base. It is not a corrosion primer.
- Primer sealer
- An undercoat that promotes adhesion and gives uniform color holdout, keeping the primer from showing through or shifting the final color. Sprayed before color.
- Adhesion promoter
- A product applied to slick, hard plastics (like TPO bumpers) so refinish coatings will bond to them.
- Tack cloth
- A slightly sticky cloth wiped over a sanded surface to remove dust and debris just before painting, leaving a clean, contaminant-free surface.
- Stripping to bare metal
- Removing old finish with media blasting or a controlled DA sander to minimize heat distortion — never a torch, which warps sheet metal.
- Corrosion protection
- Sealing bare metal promptly (etch or epoxy primer) to block moisture and oxygen, preventing rust and the adhesion failures it causes.
- Grounding the vehicle
- Connecting the vehicle to ground to bleed off static electricity, which would otherwise attract dust and could ignite paint vapors.
- 180-grit
- A common featheredging grit — fine enough that primer surfacer fills the taper without it telegraphing, coarse enough to work efficiently.
- 320-grit
- A grit often used to profile new, unprimed plastic before an adhesion promoter, creating bite without being too coarse.
- 500–600-grit
- A fine grit (or fine non-woven pad) used to scuff existing clearcoat for adhesion before basecoat, breaking the gloss with a uniform scratch pattern.
- Magnet test (steel vs aluminum)
- A magnet sticks to ferrous steel but not to non-ferrous aluminum — the quick way to identify the metal and pick the right primer.
- Plastic ID code (TPO, PP, PUR)
- The molded symbol on the back of a bumper cover that identifies the plastic, telling you whether an adhesion promoter and flex additive are needed.
- Scuff-sanding
- Lightly abrading a glossy cured finish (≈500–600-grit) to break the gloss and create a uniform scratch pattern so new coatings can grip.
- Back-taping (reverse masking)
- Folding masking tape so its lifted edge faces the spray, creating a soft, tapered paint edge that blends instead of leaving a hard ridge.
- Masking
- Covering adjacent panels, glass, and trim with paper and tape to protect them from overspray during spraying.
- Silicone contamination
- Residue from tire dressings and some polishes that lowers surface tension and causes fisheyes; removed with a dedicated silicone/wax-and-grease remover.
- Non-woven abrasive pad
- A synthetic scuff pad used to create a uniform scratch pattern on a painted surface before repainting, especially on contours.
- Aluminum cleaner
- A specialized cleaner that removes the oxide layer and contaminants from aluminum so primer will adhere and not fail.
- Pinholing in primer
- Tiny holes in primer surfacer; corrected by sanding the area smooth and reapplying primer for an even, pinhole-free base.
- Spot sanding + primer surfacer
- The fix for stone chips and minor imperfections — sand the spot and apply primer surfacer for a smooth, consistent base under color.
- Sealer over bare metal
- Applying a sealer/primer to bare metal to form a barrier against rust and corrosion before topcoats.
- Body filler
- A polyester filler used to repair dents and low spots; sanded and featheredged, then primed before color.
- Dirt nibs
- Specks in the finish from dust settling on wet paint; avoided by a dust-free, clean prep and spray environment.
- Fiberglass prep
- Sanding fiberglass (≈180-grit) for mechanical adhesion before priming, taking care not to expose or fray the glass mat.
- Degreaser (first step)
- Cleaning a repair area with a degreaser/wax-and-grease remover as the first step to remove contaminants before any sanding or priming.
- Static electricity control
- Grounding the vehicle and equipment to prevent static that attracts dust and can ignite vapors during spraying.
- Back sanding edges and corners
- Sanding edges and corners to create a mechanical bond, ensuring paint adheres in these critical, easily missed areas.
- High and low spots
- Surface irregularities revealed by a guide coat during block sanding; sanded level for a smooth substrate before color.
- Dry 220-grit
- A grit suited to sanding metal before primer, giving enough profile for paint adhesion.
- Mechanical adhesion
- Bonding created by a scratch profile that gives the coating something to grip; produced by correct-grit sanding.
- Substrate cleaning sequence
- Clean → strip/sand → clean again → treat/prime — cleaning bookends the prep so contaminants are never trapped under coatings.
- Heat distortion (avoiding)
- Warping of sheet metal from excessive localized heat; avoided by media blasting or a controlled DA sander instead of a grinder or torch.
- Edge map / halo
- A visible ring around a repair from a poorly featheredged edge telegraphing through the topcoat; prevented by a smooth taper.
- Surface profile
- The micro-texture left by sanding that lets a coating mechanically grip; too smooth means poor adhesion, too coarse means scratches telegraph.
- Primer flash before sanding
- Allowing primer surfacer to flash and cure before block-sanding so it sands cleanly without gumming the paper.
- HVLP spray gun
- High Volume, Low Pressure — atomizes paint with a large air volume at low cap pressure for high transfer efficiency, reducing overspray, waste, and emissions.
- Transfer efficiency
- The percentage of sprayed paint that actually lands on the panel rather than becoming overspray. HVLP guns are designed for high transfer efficiency.
- Fluid tip
- The spray-gun part that meters how much paint is released; the size is matched to the material (larger for primer, smaller for base and clear).
- Fluid needle
- The needle that opens the fluid tip when the trigger is pulled, controlling paint flow with the fluid control knob.
- Air cap
- The front of the gun where air streams shape and atomize the fan; a clogged or damaged cap distorts the spray pattern.
- Fan (pattern) control
- The gun adjustment that sets the spray shape from round to a tall oval fan to suit the job.
- Fluid control
- The gun adjustment that limits how far the needle opens, setting how much paint is released.
- Gravity-feed gun
- A spray gun with the cup on top; gravity feeds paint to the tip. Typically held 6–8 inches from the panel.
- Siphon-feed gun
- A gun with the cup below; the air cap creates a vacuum that draws (siphons) paint up into the air stream.
- Pressure-feed gun
- A gun fed by a pressurized cup or pot, useful for high-volume or high-viscosity materials.
- Airless spray gun
- A gun that atomizes by forcing material through a tip at high pressure (no atomizing air); used for heavy-duty industrial coatings, not fine automotive finishes.
- Spray distance (6–8 in.)
- The recommended gun-to-panel distance for most refinish guns — too close runs, too far gives dry, rough spray.
- 50% overlap
- Overlapping each spray pass by half the fan width for an even film thickness with no light or heavy bands.
- Arcing (avoid)
- Swinging the gun in an arc with the wrist so distance changes across the stroke; causes uneven film and striping. Move the whole arm, keeping the gun parallel.
- Triggering
- Starting and stopping the trigger at the beginning and end of each pass to avoid heavy build at the ends of the stroke.
- Test pattern card
- A card sprayed to check the fan; a balanced cigar shape means the gun is set up and clean, a split or heavy-end shape means a clogged/damaged cap or tip.
- Moisture trap / air dryer
- An inline device that removes water and oil from compressed air, preventing fisheyes and blistering caused by contaminated air.
- Air regulator
- A device that sets and holds the atomizing air pressure delivered to the gun.
- Spray booth airflow
- Controlled, filtered airflow (often ~100–125 fpm down-draft) that removes overspray and keeps the finish clean.
- Gun cleaning
- Disassembling and thoroughly cleaning all gun parts after every use so dried paint never clogs the passages and distorts the pattern.
- Zahn cup
- A cup with a calibrated orifice used to measure paint viscosity by timing how long the paint drains through it.
- Atomization
- Breaking paint into a fine mist of droplets; poor atomization (low pressure, gun too far) causes orange peel and dry spray.
- Air cap horns
- The side projections on the air cap whose air jets flatten the round spray into an oval fan; clogged horns split the pattern.
- Cap pressure (HVLP limit)
- The atomizing pressure measured at the air cap; HVLP rules often cap it near 10 psi to keep transfer efficiency high and emissions low.
- Bleeder vs non-bleeder gun
- A bleeder gun passes air continuously; a non-bleeder gun releases air only when the trigger is pulled (typical of production refinish guns).
- Fluid tip / air cap matching
- Selecting a tip and cap set sized to the material — primer needs a larger orifice than base or clear for proper flow and atomization.
- Banana / split pattern
- A distorted fan caused by a clogged or damaged air cap or fluid tip; clean or replace the part before spraying.
- Compressed-air supply
- Clean, dry, regulated air feeding the gun; contamination or moisture in the line causes finish defects.
- Gun setup (base/clear)
- Adjusting fan, fluid, and air, then verifying on a test card, so the gun lays the correct film for the material being sprayed.
- Paint strainer
- A mesh strainer used when filling the cup to remove lumps and debris that would clog the tip or land in the finish.
- Basecoat/clearcoat
- A two-layer finish: a thin, flat basecoat carries the color or effect, and a clear topcoat provides gloss, depth, and UV protection.
- Basecoat
- The color layer in a basecoat/clearcoat system; provides the color, metallic, or pearl effect and is sprayed thin and flat until cleared.
- Clearcoat
- The unpigmented top layer that gives gloss, depth, and UV/chemical protection over the basecoat.
- Single-stage paint
- A finish that combines color and gloss in one product, applied without a separate clearcoat.
- Tri-coat (three-stage)
- A finish of basecoat, a translucent mid-coat, and clearcoat used for many pearls and candies; the number of mid-coats must match to get the color right.
- Mid-coat
- The translucent, often tinted layer in a tri-coat system that adds depth and the pearl/candy effect between base and clear.
- Metallic paint
- Paint containing aluminum flake that changes appearance with viewing angle; flake orientation depends on application technique, so it affects the match.
- Pearl paint
- Paint containing mica pigment that creates color-shifting, pearlescent effects; sensitive to coat count and application.
- Metamerism
- When two colors match under one light source but differ under another, because they reach the same color with different pigments.
- Spectrophotometer
- An electronic instrument that reads a vehicle's actual color and calculates a matching (or corrected) paint formula.
- Spray-out card
- A test card sprayed with the mixed color and clear to confirm the match under multiple lights before spraying the vehicle.
- Paint code
- The manufacturer's color code (on the door jamb or a VIN plate) that identifies the factory formula and starting point for matching.
- Mixing by weight
- Weighing each toner on an electronic scale per the formula for precise, repeatable color — far more accurate than measuring by volume.
- Electronic scale
- The precision scale used to weigh toners in a mixing system so the mixed color matches the formula.
- Toner agitation
- Stirring or shaking toners before mixing because pigments settle and separate over time, which would otherwise throw off the color.
- Paint mixing bank
- The shelved set of toners in a mixing room; toners are agitated regularly to keep color accurate.
- Flash time
- The time that lets a coat's solvents evaporate before the next coat; too little traps solvent and causes solvent pop or pinholes.
- Viscosity
- A paint's resistance to flow, set by reduction; correct viscosity is needed for proper atomization and a smooth film.
- Reducer
- The solvent that thins paint to spraying viscosity; graded fast or slow to match the booth temperature.
- Activator (hardener)
- The component that cures two-component (2K) paints and clears; mixed in the correct ratio and matched to temperature.
- Reducer speed vs temperature
- Slow reducer for hot conditions (so paint flows before flashing), fast for cool — wrong speed causes runs, orange peel, or solvent pop.
- Blending
- Tapering new color into the surrounding finish so a spot repair is invisible, often with a blending solvent and clear over the whole panel.
- Blending solvent
- A solvent used at the edge of a basecoat repair to melt the new color into the existing finish for a seamless transition.
- Mixing ratio
- The proportions of paint, reducer, and activator specified on the technical data sheet; correct ratio is essential to cure and finish.
- Technical data sheet (TDS)
- The manufacturer's product sheet giving mix ratios, reducer/temperature charts, flash and recoat times, and film build.
- Color variant
- An alternate factory formula for a color that accounts for production variation and fading; chosen to match the actual vehicle.
- Spray pattern overlap (color)
- Even, overlapping passes that distribute color and metallic flake uniformly to avoid streaks and mottling.
- Flake orientation
- How metallic flakes lie in the film; consistent gun distance and technique control it, which is critical to a metallic match.
- Film build
- The total dry thickness of the coatings; too little hides poorly, too much risks cracking and solvent pop. Set by coats and product.
- Color tint / toning
- Slightly adjusting a formula by adding small amounts of toner to fine-tune a match after a spray-out comparison.
- Letdown panel
- A test panel sprayed with varying mid-coats (tri-coat) to determine the exact number of coats needed to match.
- Hiding / coverage
- The number of coats needed for the basecoat to fully cover the undercoat; influenced by color and the sealer shade beneath it.
- Sealer color (ground coat)
- A tinted sealer matched to the topcoat so fewer color coats are needed and coverage is uniform.
- Recoat window
- The time range in which the next coat can be applied without sanding; outside it, the surface may need scuffing for adhesion.
- Pot life
- The usable time after a 2K product is activated before it begins to gel and must be discarded.
- Wet coat vs medium coat
- Film thickness per pass; wet coats flow but risk runs, medium coats are safer — chosen to suit the product and conditions.
- Mil thickness
- Coating thickness measured in mils (thousandths of an inch); checked with a gauge to stay within the product's recommended build.
- Color matching under daylight
- Evaluating a match in daylight (plus other lights) because shop fluorescents alone can hide metamerism.
- Banding / striping (color)
- Uneven color bands from poor overlap or arcing; prevented by consistent 50% overlap and gun motion.
- Drop coat / mist coat
- A light, higher-distance final base coat used to even out metallic flake and reduce mottling.
- Catalyzed clear
- A two-component clearcoat cured by an activator, giving durable gloss and chemical/UV resistance.
- Mixing stick / ratio chart
- A measuring tool or chart for combining paint, reducer, and activator in the correct proportions by volume when not weighing.
- Color blend zone
- The transitional area where new color is feathered into old; kept within a panel where possible and cleared overall.
- Stir vs shake
- Agitating paint and toners thoroughly before use so settled pigment is fully re-dispersed for accurate color.
- Adjacent panel blending
- Extending the clearcoat (and sometimes a little color) into a neighboring panel to hide a slight color difference.
- Runs / sags
- Paint flowing downward because too much material was applied in one coat — over-reduced paint, gun too close, or too slow a reducer. Let cure, sand, re-spray.
- Orange peel
- A bumpy, low-gloss texture from poor flow-out — low pressure, gun too far, paint too thick, or fast reducer. Cured by sanding and buffing or re-clearing.
- Dry spray
- A rough, powdery surface from the gun held too far or air pressure too high, so paint partly dries before reaching the panel.
- Solvent pop
- Small bubbles or craters from solvent trapped under a skinned-over coat — too little flash time, heavy coats, or too fast a reducer. Sand and refinish.
- Pinholes (application)
- Tiny holes from trapped air or solvent escaping through wet paint, often over an unclean or porous surface; sand and reapply.
- Mottling
- Uneven, blotchy metallic flake distribution from inconsistent gun distance, pressure, or motion; cured by uniform overlapping passes.
- Tiger striping
- Light and dark stripes in a metallic finish from non-uniform gun movement; prevented by consistent distance, overlap, and a drop coat.
- Wrinkling / lifting
- The topcoat shriveling because it was recoated too soon and its solvents penetrated and swelled the underlayer.
- Over-reduction
- Adding too much reducer, lowering viscosity so the paint runs and sags and loses hiding.
- Insufficient flash time
- Recoating before solvents evaporate, trapping them and causing solvent pop, pinholes, and dieback.
- Gun too close
- Holding the gun nearer than ~6 inches, depositing too much material in a band and causing runs and sags.
- Gun too far
- Holding the gun beyond ~8 inches, so paint partly dries in flight — dry spray, orange peel, and mottling.
- Wrong reducer for temperature
- Using a reducer too fast for the heat (dry spray, orange peel) or too slow for cool conditions (runs, solvent pop).
- Sanding and buffing (cure)
- Color-sanding a textured area smooth, then buffing to restore gloss — the cure for minor orange peel and nibs.
- Allow to cure, then refinish
- The remedy for solvent pop and many application defects: let the film fully harden, sand the area, and re-spray.
- Consistent overlapping passes
- Keeping a steady 50% overlap and gun speed to distribute metallic evenly and prevent mottling and tiger striping.
- Uniform gun movement
- Moving the gun parallel and at constant distance so film and flake are even; the fix for striping and mottling.
- Excessive film thickness
- Applying coats too heavy or too many, which invites runs, solvent pop, and later cracking; stay within the product's build.
- Fisheye
- A small crater where wet paint pulls away from silicone or oil contamination. Stop, clean with wax-and-grease remover, and add fisheye eliminator.
- Fisheye eliminator
- An additive that lowers paint surface tension so it can flow over minor silicone contamination and resist fisheyes.
- Blistering
- Bubbles under the finish from moisture or contaminants trapped during prep, or from poor surface preparation. Remove the source, then strip and refinish.
- Peeling
- Loss of adhesion between layers or to the substrate, usually from a missed scuff, a dirty surface, or incompatible materials.
- Blushing
- A milky, cloudy haze from moisture trapped when spraying in high humidity with a fast solvent. Use a slower (anti-blush) reducer.
- Cracking / crazing
- A network of cracks from a film applied too thick or recoated too soon, stressing the coating as it cures and contracts.
- Chalking
- A faded, powdery surface on aged paint from prolonged UV exposure breaking down the binder.
- Color fading / loss of gloss
- Dulling over time as UV breaks down the paint's chemistry; worsened by under-cured or low-quality film.
- Bleeding
- Color from an incompatible underlayer (often old red) migrating up into the new topcoat, causing discoloration; sealed with a bleeder sealer.
- Solvent pop (defect)
- Bubbles/craters from trapped solvent escaping the curing film; caused by too little flash, heavy coats, or baking too soon.
- Dieback
- A gradual loss of gloss after the finish dries, caused by solvent continuing to escape from an under-flashed film.
- Lifting
- Wrinkling/swelling of an underlayer when a topcoat's solvents attack it — from incompatible products or recoating too soon.
- Sand scratch swelling
- Coarse sand scratches that show through the finish because solvents swelled them; prevented by finer final sanding and adequate flash.
- Edge mapping
- A visible ring around a repair where solvents swell or telegraph a featheredge; reduced by a smooth taper and proper sealing.
- Water spotting
- Spots etched into a fresh finish by water (or contaminants) settling before full cure; avoided by protecting the finish until cured.
- Dirt / dust nibs
- Specks embedded in the finish from a dirty environment; nibbed out and buffed, or sanded and re-cleared.
- Contamination (silicone/oil)
- Surface or air-line silicone and oil that cause fisheyes and adhesion loss; controlled by clean prep, clean air, and keeping silicone away.
- Mottling (defect)
- Blotchy metallic in the cured finish from uneven application; corrected by re-spraying with uniform technique.
- Wrinkling (defect)
- A shriveled surface from recoating before the underlayer dried or from incompatible coatings.
- Rust / corrosion under paint
- Bubbling and lifting from rust spreading beneath the finish, caused by unprotected bare metal or trapped moisture.
- Loss of adhesion
- Paint failing to bond from inadequate scuffing, contamination, or incompatible undercoats; prevented by correct prep.
- Acid/alkali (chemical) etch
- Spotting and dulling from acid rain, bird droppings, or chemicals attacking the finish; severe cases must be sanded and refinished.
- Cure (causes-and-cures logic)
- Diagnose the cause (contamination, moisture, incompatibility, technique, or age) before re-spraying — fixing the symptom alone repeats the defect.
- Bull's-eye / ringing
- A visible halo around a repair from improper featheredging or sealing showing through; corrected by reworking the edge.
- Orange peel (defect)
- Texture in the cured finish from poor flow-out; corrected by color-sanding and buffing or sanding and re-clearing.
- Sags in the finish
- Cured runs from too-heavy application; sanded flat and the area re-sprayed.
- Hazing / clouding
- A cloudy clearcoat from moisture or solvent issues; tied to blushing and improper reducer for conditions.
- Soft / under-cured film
- A finish that stays soft because of wrong activator ratio, low temperature, or insufficient cure time, leading to poor durability.
- Crows-feet cracking
- Fine surface cracks resembling a bird's foot from excessive film thickness or stress in the topcoat.
- Spray-dust contamination
- Overspray dust landing on a wet adjacent finish; controlled by masking and booth airflow.
- Isocyanates
- Reactive chemicals in 2K urethane paints and clears that can cause asthma and respiratory sensitization; spraying them requires a supplied-air respirator.
- Supplied-air respirator
- A respirator that feeds clean air from a source outside the contaminated area; required when spraying isocyanate-containing materials.
- Air-supplied (vs cartridge)
- For paint vapors and isocyanates, a supplied-air respirator is required because cartridge filters and dust masks don't reliably stop the vapor.
- Particulate respirator
- A filter respirator for dust and sanding particles — not adequate for isocyanate paint vapors.
- Chemical-resistant gloves
- Gloves worn when mixing and handling paints and hardeners to protect skin from chemicals that can irritate or sensitize.
- Eye protection
- Goggles or a face shield worn to guard against paint and solvent splashes that can injure the eyes.
- Spray booth (safety)
- A ventilated, filtered enclosure with proper exhaust that carries overspray and vapors away from the breathing zone.
- Local exhaust ventilation
- The most effective way to reduce solvent-vapor inhalation by capturing and removing vapors at the source.
- Fire-rated flammable cabinet
- A labeled, fire-rated cabinet for storing flammable solvents and paints away from ignition sources.
- Dry-chemical fire extinguisher
- The extinguisher type suited to a paint shop, handling flammable-liquid (Class B) and electrical (Class C) fires.
- Grounding the paint booth
- Connecting the booth and vehicle to ground to dissipate static electricity that could ignite paint fumes and solvents.
- Ventilation when cleaning guns
- Cleaning spray guns with solvent in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling harmful solvent vapors.
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
- The document listing a product's hazards, PPE, storage, and spill procedures; consulted for every refinish material.
- Solvent spill response
- Ventilate the area first to disperse vapors and reduce fire/health risk, then clean up per the SDS.
- Solvent rag storage
- Storing solvent-soaked rags in a closed, self-closing metal waste can to prevent fire from spontaneous combustion.
- PPE (personal protective equipment)
- Respirator, chemical-resistant gloves, suit, and eye protection worn to guard against refinish hazards.
- Isocyanate skin absorption
- Isocyanates can absorb through skin, so a suit and chemical-resistant gloves are needed in addition to a respirator.
- Hazardous-material storage
- Keeping flammable and reactive materials labeled, segregated, and in proper cabinets per regulations and the SDS.
- Booth exhaust filtration
- Filters that capture overspray and vent vapors, key to minimizing exposure to isocyanates and solvents.
- VOC / emissions awareness
- Limiting volatile organic compound release through HVLP guns, proper products, and booth controls per environmental rules.
- Wet sanding
- Sanding with water (and often a fine grit) to reduce dust, clear the swarf, and leave a finer scratch — used to refine primer or color-sand a finish.
- DA (dual-action) sander
- A random-orbit sander that cuts without leaving deep directional scratches; used for featheredging, scuffing, and controlled stripping.
- Scuff and shoot
- A light prep where a sound existing finish is only scuff-sanded and cleaned before recoating, with no full strip to bare metal.
- Sand scratch refinement
- Stepping up through finer grits (e.g., 320 to 500–600) before color so coarse scratches don't telegraph through the finish.
- Cup gun vs pressure pot
- A cup gun carries a small amount of paint at the gun; a pressure pot feeds larger volumes through a hose for big jobs.
- Pearl letdown matching
- Spraying a letdown panel with increasing pearl/mid-coats to find the exact coat count that matches a tri-coat color.
- Color hold / color travel
- How a metallic or pearl color shifts from a head-on (face) view to an angled (flop) view; matched by application as well as formula.
- Sealer adhesion role
- A sealer both improves adhesion to the undercoat and gives uniform color holdout so the topcoat covers evenly.
- Two-component (2K) coating
- A coating that cures by chemical reaction when an activator is added, giving durable, solvent-resistant films (most modern clears and primers).
- Recoating too soon (defect)
- Applying the next coat before the previous one has flashed/cured, trapping solvent and causing lifting, wrinkling, or solvent pop.
- Sand-through (burn-through)
- Cutting through the color or primer to a lower layer while sanding; requires re-priming or re-coloring the spot before clear.
- Negative-pressure booth check
- Confirming the booth draws air inward (slight negative pressure) so overspray and vapors are exhausted, not pushed into the shop.
