Topic

Paint care & correction

Paint care starts with a condition assessment. Paint structure, defect depth, intended finish and available paint determine which correction is appropriate.

Topic

Paint care & correction in practice

Paint care starts with a condition assessment. Paint structure, defect depth, intended finish and available paint determine which correction is appropriate.

Paint care & correction

Abrasive

Abrasive describes the mechanical cutting action of a product or material. In vehicle care, a polish or pad removes paint defects such as scratches, swirls or oxidation through controlled material removal. Abrasiveness is a central factor in paint correction.

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Paint care & correction

Abrasive grain

An abrasive grain is an individual cutting particle in a polish or pad. Its size, hardness and structure determine the cutting performance and finish. High-quality polishes use consistent, defined grains for precise results.

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Paint care & correction

Abrasive polish

An abrasive polish contains mechanically active particles that remove clear coat. It is used for stronger defects and requires controlled machine movement to avoid holograms.

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Paint care & correction

Acrylic paint

Acrylic paint is an older paint type that is softer than many modern clear coats. It reacts more sensitively to heat and aggressive compounds, so care requires mild abrasives and precise polishing.

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Paint care & correction

Clear coat

Clear coat is the transparent protective layer above the base coat and the layer worked during polishing.

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Paint care & correction

Condition assessment

A condition assessment evaluates paint structure, defects and surface condition before polishing.

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Paint care & correction

Cut

Cut describes the corrective power of a polish or pad. Higher cut means stronger material removal, while lower cut is used for fine finishing work.

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Paint care & correction

Depth of gloss

Depth of gloss describes the visual depth and clarity of a painted surface.

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Paint care & correction

Finish

Finish describes the final gloss after polishing or protection. A clean finish is free from holograms, streaks and haze.

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Paint care & correction

Finishing polish

Finishing polishes have low cutting power and are used to create maximum gloss.

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Paint care & correction

Holograms

Holograms are machine-induced polishing marks that appear under light as circular or curved reflections.

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Paint care & correction

JDM paint

Japanese vehicle paint often has softer clear coats that require adapted polishing techniques.

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Paint care & correction

Jetting

Jetting describes the visual depth and richness associated with high-quality wax finishes.

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Paint care & correction

Micro-scratches

Micro-scratches are very fine paint defects that are often caused by unsuitable washing methods.

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Paint care & correction

Multi-stage polishing

Multi-stage polishing combines coordinated steps such as cutting, polishing and finishing.

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Paint care & correction

One-step polishing

One-step polishing combines defect correction and finishing in a single stage.

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Paint care & correction

Oxidation

Oxidation describes a surface becoming dull or changing through UV exposure and chemical influences.

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Paint care & correction

Paint cleaner

Paint cleaners are chemical preparatory cleaners for paint surfaces.

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Paint care & correction

Paint correction

Paint correction is the targeted removal or reduction of defects through polishing.

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Paint care & correction

Paint correction

Paint correction is the professional correction of visible paint defects.

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Paint care & correction

Paint defect

Paint defects include scratches, swirls, holograms and oxidation.

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Paint care & correction

Paint detailing

Paint detailing covers cleaning, polishing, defect correction and protection of the paint surface.

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Paint care & correction

Paint hardness

Paint hardness affects how easily or slowly a paint system can be polished.

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Paint care & correction

Polishing through

Polishing through means the clear coat has been removed completely and the base coat is exposed. It is serious paint damage and requires professional repair.

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Paint care & correction

Scratch classification

Scratch classifications describe the depth and severity of a paint defect.

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Paint care & correction

Spot repair

Spot repair is the local repair of a limited area of paint damage.

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Paint care & correction

Swirls

Swirls are circularly visible micro-scratches in clear coat.

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Paint care & correction

Two-stage paint

Two-stage paint consists of a colour base coat and a protective clear coat.

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