Flake vs. Pearl

[suhster85]

Can someone knowledgeable in paints explain to me the difference between a flake and a pearl...lets say if I was to paint my car black with a gold flake vs black with a gold pearl...what would be the difference in the resulting paint jobs?

[daredevildoug]

basicly flake it bigger and i resembles the look of stars in the sky.. as for pearl, its more fine and it changes the color of the car pending on how much you use, the color you use and etc. to many ways on how to use and how it and how the work will come out to be. paint schemes change...

-de

[Phlip]

I say go for the pearl, flake winds up looking like some kinda fuckin houseboat half the time in my opinion

[BlackS14]

I agree....usually when folks do the flakes, they are unaware of how big the flakes are sometimes and it ends up looking like a car that should be out in a lake somewhere with folks trying to catch bass from it......I second the pearl....

-Bill

[HaLo]

I have a pearl in my original paint and it's much nicer than metal flake...

[420sx]

uuugh... a flake is...... a flake. a pearl is ........a pearl. its kinda self explanatory? flakes are bigger

[MakotoS13]

know what a pearl looks like?

know what metal flakes look like?

okay, imagine a paint that incorporates either theme into it thus giving a metal flake or pearl effect.

rocket science this is not. also, both are three stage processes and the pearl looks a thousand million times better always than some ghetto bassboat flake.

[2JZGTE]

Originally Posted by MakotoS13

rocket science this is not. also, both are three stage processes and the pearl looks a thousand million times better always than some ghetto bassboat flake.

Pearl and flake DO NOT necessarily make the paintjob a 3stage process. HOK candy on the other hand is a 3stage process. PPG also has a new 3stage paint.

I like both flake and pearl as long as the orange peel is minimal and the paint is quality.

Billy

[suhster85]

what about factory metallic paints?

[2JZGTE]

Originally Posted by suhster85

what about factory metallic paints?

Basically...metallic will give the paint a little sparkle to it while the pearl will add depth to the paint and sometimes allow it to change shades etc.

There is add-on metallic flakes you can put in paint, and these flakes can be quite big which will give the "houseboat" effect or whatever. For the most part, OEM metallics have much smaller flakes so it doesn't look that extreme really.

[MakotoS13]

Originally Posted by 2JZGTE

Basically...metallic will give the paint a little sparkle to it while the pearl will add depth to the paint and sometimes allow it to change shades etc.

There is add-on metallic flakes you can put in paint, and these flakes can be quite big which will give the "houseboat" effect or whatever. For the most part, OEM metallics have much smaller flakes so it doesn't look that extreme really.

im not talkin about metallic paints i mean FLAKE. the kind that you use a special gun with. i think mugenhonda has some experience with this. you lay the basecoat, then flake, then clear. the pearl can be mixed in with the clear and usually is... but idunno. alright, you win that one.

[KiDyNomiTe]

If you do go flake, try finding a paint store with the flake and see the sizes in person. And if you have any spare body panels or something, paint it and apply the flake in different amounts in different spots. Too much flake or too big of flakes are really gaudy. Once my car is painted it will have flake though, but I am going to try and spread it out a lot.

[infinitexsound]

OK guys im here to answer ur autobody painting questions again...........
difference in flake and pearl not hard..................
metallic flakes well self explanitory its large, pearls is still a metallic flake but in fine....
u dont need a spacial hvlp gun to spray flakes... itll go thru.. just depends what size tip your gonna use.. preferabbly ppl use a little larger then usual tip......
black with gold flakes and gold pearl well buddy right off the bat i can tell u its gonna have a yellow sidecast.... and yellow sidecast blows....espacially on a black base... now if it was red then it would look bronze like for the sideccast......

as for the guys who think they know but have no idea... i suggest going to work in a bodyshop before u post faulty info.. pearl is considered a 3 stage for ur info.... why because theres 3 layers of different materials being layed down... "base pearl clear" single stage 1 coat, well its just paint that has a shine too it when its dry... hence u dont need clear........kandies well thats fukn 23198782382 stage because the amount it takes to lay down the paint to cover takes a whole day...ppg ill pass if im gonna do kandies why? because house of colors is the SHIT!

like i said before u can mix pearls with the clear... but u run the risk of having runs when u want to add more coats of clear or pearl. thats why its just best to do it with binder.. u can add as many coats of pearls without risking a run... same with clear if u have a dry spot easy fix with out to many coats of clear as a problem.. excessive coats of clear will cause a RUN and painters hate that....

factory metallic paints, well its toners (metalllic toners) to place metallics in the paint...

[mr_240sx]

wow. tks for the info man

[infinitexsound]

hey mr... ur red... im wondering if u got that new paint theyre puttin out.... basically is it the imitation chrome that is a color...? ive seen a few cars with it... VERY BAD ASS... or is it straight up just clean looking with da WAX?

[mr_240sx]

hey man, my paint is actually H.O.K. candy apple red with some brandy wine red! i havent done anything to the paint since i took it out of the paint shop!

[infinitexsound]

word i like the transistion in color and depth very nice....gotta get those baller wheels man definetly will give the high number in sex factor...

[mr_240sx]

Originally Posted by infinitexsound

word i like the transistion in color and depth very nice....gotta get those baller wheels man definetly will give the high number in sex factor...

dont worry man, i got a set of works wheels in the works metallic coating (chrome) that should arrive late May!!!!

[aa87]

I did like the dousans paint wiht the flakes in it, it added a nicer look to it.

[infinitexsound]

thats gangsta

[mr_240sx]

Originally Posted by infinitexsound

thats gangsta

i thought it was the right colour to complement the paint. because this is a week-end show car! ( i know i will get flamed for saying its a show car, but dont worry, it gets driven hard also!!!)

[AAA240SX]

yea gansta cool buddy...

infinitexsound...i got a question on paints.
how/at which stage of a paint job can ghost graphics be applied?

i was thinking of putting some sort of graphic underneath the new paint i'm going to get...

[infinitexsound]

ghost hmmm easy right after base... depends which way u wanna go.. for ex:

when doing ghost flames.... spray white base, lay out ur flame edges with fine line .... than mask off, light coat of lets say frost white pearl.. pull off paper and tape and then u can clear...