Matt finishes

When buying a car from a car dealership, we pay attention to the colour if we want it to be special to us. Usually, the basic colour palette is included in the price, but there is also an option, available at an additional cost, for much more attractive colours. One such option is to have your new car finished with a matt paint. The price depends on the size of the car and the brand, and can range from $1,000 for a Hyundai to $4,000 for a Mercedes. Paying this cost will make our car stand out not with its shine, but with its unique structure.

In our country, matt paints are exotic. They require more care, especially washing takes longer. It is certainly a bit more of a hassle than with high-gloss paints, but it certainly gives special visual effects.

A matt finish gives a car body a unique character, but it is a real challenge for paint manufacturers because it requires complex production technology to maintain the same protective qualities as a glossy paint.

What is a matt texture on a car?

As with colours, gloss and matt are subjective impressions that are determined by our senses. It's all about light - we perceive the colour of a surface in this way because the particles that correspond to the colour of the surface are reflected from the entire colour spectrum of light. The intensity of the light reflection depends on the smoothness of the surface. As we know, a mirror with an absolutely smooth surface has the highest gloss. However, if there are so-called microparticles on the surface (the surface will be slightly rough), a large part of the light will be scattered and only a small part will be reflected. And this is exactly when we talk about a matt surface.

To create this micro-rough surface, matting agents such as silica or synthetic waxes are added to the paint. After application to the surface of the paint containing these additives, the matting agent particles are evenly distributed in the paint layer during drying, forming a thin layer with a micro-rough surface. The typical size of these microstructure particles is 4-10 microns.

The degree of matting is influenced by many factors - certainly the selection of suitable matting agents, binders or thinners, but also the method of application. The thinner the layer of varnish, the greater the matt effect, which is why it is recommended to apply 2 thin layers or 1.5 layers of matt varnish. The evaporation rate of the thinner also affects the roughness of the surface, i.e. the degree of mattness.

There are several products on the market that can be used to achieve a matt effect in car repairs. These include matting pastes, which, in the right proportions, are added to a two-component acrylic paint or to a clear coat, thus achieving the desired degree of mattness. Until now, however, users of such products have encountered the problem of sedimentation of the matting agents. Multichem, the manufacturer of Profix brand varnishes, has used state-of-the-art additives to develop a product that gives a high degree of matting without the problem of sedimentation (Matting resin 003).

Another way to achieve a matt finish

Another way to achieve a matt surface is to apply a matt clear varnish as a top coat. The clear varnish is applied to the surface that has already been coated with a base varnish. All we have to do is make sure that the base coat has had enough time to dry before applying the clear coat – for more information, please refer to the technical data sheets of the respective products. This is an important parameter and must be strictly observed – be sure to read the TDS sheet of the product. If the clear varnish is applied too quickly, the thinner from the base layer will be trapped by the clarifier. This can be compared to sealing the base under plastic wrap. The thinner that is ‘trapped’ on the surface must escape, which can cause the surface of the clear coat to foam, thus reducing the adhesion of the clear coat to the surface. If the clear coat is applied too late, the dried base layer will not bond with the clear coat, causing the top coat to peel off.

With the help of matt clear coats, we can achieve a matt surface effect even with metallic or pearlescent paints. The challenge in the production of these types of paints is to achieve scratch resistance. The necessity to apply thin layers of varnish forces manufacturers to develop hard and scratch-resistant products. Interestingly, in the case of some of these varnishes, by mixing a matt clear varnish (CM 10) with a high-gloss varnish (CP 1500), we can adjust the degree of gloss on the surface ourselves.

If you look after it, it will look after you

Modern matt paints are durable and weather-resistant. Weather resistance is only one side of the coin; mechanical resistance (e.g. to scratches) is just as important. Every person looking for a free parking space knows how easy it is to have an ‘adventure’ with scratches on the door when getting in or out of the car. It is precisely the hard, colourless surface that often protects our cars from being marred by scratches. An important factor here, although often forgotten, is the care taken to keep the car body clean. This extends the life of the coating by up to several years. Nothing damages a clear coat like bird droppings. The chemical reaction they cause destroys the paint surface.

Contamination of the coating by dirt or dust on the street is not as visible as on a glossy one. It is difficult to notice small scratches in such a structure, and washing at car washes does not cause any problems if a few tips are followed. First of all, do not use cleaning products that are not intended for this type of paint. Currently, you can purchase products dedicated to the maintenance and care of matt paintwork. Unlike traditional paints, washing at a car wash that uses rinse aids is not recommended. Considering the structure of the paint, we should remove dirt from the body as quickly as possible, preferably by washing the car by hand, using special materials such as cloths or gloves. As for the use of a high-pressure washer, it can be done, but with limited pressure, and the water jet from the nozzle must be rotational. It goes without saying that the safety distance to the surface to be cleaned must be greater than 30 cm. Otherwise, the paintwork could be damaged or mechanically stressed. It is important to remember that maintaining a matt paint finish requires more care. Therefore, polishing such surfaces is strongly discouraged.