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Wet Painting

Paint, powder & polymer coatings · Spray applied

Wet painting atomizes a liquid resin, pigment, and solvent or water system onto prepared metal or plastic.

CNC machiningSheet metalInjection molding3D printingStandard cost $$Insulating
Quote a part with Wet paintCompare paint, powder & polymer coatings
Wet Painting on a machined part

What is Wet paint?

Engineers specify it for exact color, gloss, branding, and moderate environmental protection, including multi-layer automotive-grade 2K polyurethane systems.

How it works

The part is cleaned, abraded or chemically pretreated, then sprayed with one or more liquid coats. Solvent or water flashes off and the binder cures by air drying, baking, or chemical crosslinking; two-component polyurethane mixes resin and hardener shortly before spraying. Primer promotes adhesion and corrosion resistance, basecoat supplies color, and clearcoat supplies gloss and weathering resistance. Film thickness depends on resin, solids content, gun setup, and coat count.

Why specify it

  • Matches RAL, Pantone, or customer master colors
  • Covers metals, molded plastics, and printed polymers with suitable primer
  • Multi-layer systems can separate adhesion, color, and UV-protection functions
  • Typical single-system dry film is 20–80 µm

Where it falls short

  • Edges chip when pretreatment or impact resistance is poor
  • Outdoor color and gloss can fade without a UV-stable topcoat
  • Runs, orange peel, dust, and color variation require process control
  • Thick paint can obstruct threads, snaps, labels, and grounding points

Wet paint at a glance

Wet paint is strongest on cosmetic quality (90 of 100), at a standard cost. It adds little surface hardness.

Corrosion protectionGood59 / 100
Surface hardnessMinimal10 / 100
Cosmetic qualityExcellent90 / 100
LubricityLow15 / 100
Relative costStandard30 / 100
CorrosionHardnessCosmeticLubricityEconomy

Each score is 0–100 against every finish in this catalog. Corrosion comes from salt-spray life (ASTM B117, log scale) and hardness from the finish layer's Vickers or pencil hardness; cosmetic, lubricity and cost are FabDigit's engineering assessment. Economy on the radar is the inverse of cost.

Wet paint key numbers

Typical values from the governing specifications and shop practice; bars are this finish against the highest value among paint, powder & polymer coatings finishes.

Thickness20–80 µm0.79–3.1 mil
Salt spray96–250 h
Max service temp.120 °C248 °F
Thickness
20–40 µm for many plastic color coats; multi-layer primer/basecoat/clearcoat systems can approach 80 µm total
Hardness
HB–2H pencil hardness (ASTM D3363) — alkyd to two-component polyurethane; system-dependent
Corrosion (salt spray)
96–250 h per ASTM B117 scribe creep, one topcoat over primer on steel (typical) — Single-coat systems; multi-coat industrial systems reach 500 h and more.
Electrical
Insulating
Colours
  • RAL colors
  • Pantone colors
  • custom color
  • clear
Appearance
Matte through high gloss; smoothness and orange peel depend on substrate preparation and spray control.

Where Wet paint sits among all finishes

Surface hardness (Vickers, log scale) against corrosion protection (salt-spray hours, log scale) for every coating FabDigit offers, one cloud per finish group. Wet paint is highlighted; hover a dot for its name or open the full map.

02550751000255075100Corrosion protection (0–100)Surface hardness (HV, log scale, 0–100)Plating — 19 finishesHard coatings — 17 finishesAnodize & conversion — 8 finishesPaint & powder — 7 finisheshard, low corrosion protectionhard and protectiveprotective, softsoft, little protectionType II anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 54BSA anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 52Type I anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 49Hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61PTFE hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61Nitriding — corrosion 55, hardness 73PEO — corrosion 70, hardness 74Sherardizing — corrosion 83, hardness 56Brass plate — corrosion 35, hardness 44Bronze plate — corrosion 40, hardness 49Cadmium plate — corrosion 70, hardness 26Copper plate — corrosion 32, hardness 39Decorative chrome — corrosion 64, hardness 71Electroless copper — corrosion 20, hardness 41Electroless nickel — corrosion 70, hardness 68Nickel plate — corrosion 51, hardness 55Gold plate — corrosion 68, hardness 39Hard chrome — corrosion 40, hardness 73Hot-dip zinc — corrosion 90, hardness 42Nickel-PTFE — corrosion 72, hardness 57Silver plate — corrosion 55, hardness 39Solder plate — corrosion 42, hardness 9Tin plate — corrosion 34, hardness 0Zinc plate — corrosion 60, hardness 30Zinc-nickel — corrosion 86, hardness 60Cerakote — corrosion 83, hardness 27E-coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Epoxy coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Powder coat — corrosion 83, hardness 14AlCrN PVD — corrosion 58, hardness 93AlTiN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 94CrN PVD — corrosion 62, hardness 83DLC — corrosion 55, hardness 93MoS2 PVD — corrosion 20, hardness 26TiAlN PVD — corrosion 50, hardness 93TiCN PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 92TiB2 PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 94TiN PVD — corrosion 45, hardness 87WC/C PVD — corrosion 48, hardness 77ZrN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 90CVD alumina — corrosion 70, hardness 85CVD TiCN — corrosion 38, hardness 92CVD TiN — corrosion 45, hardness 87Multilayer CVD — corrosion 62, hardness 88HVOF coating — corrosion 78, hardness 77Plasma spray — corrosion 60, hardness 68Plastic chrome — corrosion 72, hardness 71Electroless plastic — corrosion 58, hardness 39Clear coat — corrosion 20, hardness 12Soft-touch — corrosion 20, hardness 5PLATINGHARD COATINGSANODIZE & CONVERSIONPAINT & POWDERPowder coatType II anodizeZinc plateZinc-nickelHard chromeDLCTiN PVDTin plateCadmium plateE-coatCerakoteHot-dip zincNitridingHVOF coatingWet paint — corrosion 59, hardness 10Wet paint
02550751000255075100Corrosion protection (0–100)Surface hardness (HV, log scale, 0–100)Plating — 19 finishesHard coatings — 17 finishesAnodize & conversion — 8 finishesPaint & powder — 7 finishesType II anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 54BSA anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 52Type I anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 49Hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61PTFE hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61Nitriding — corrosion 55, hardness 73PEO — corrosion 70, hardness 74Sherardizing — corrosion 83, hardness 56Brass plate — corrosion 35, hardness 44Bronze plate — corrosion 40, hardness 49Cadmium plate — corrosion 70, hardness 26Copper plate — corrosion 32, hardness 39Decorative chrome — corrosion 64, hardness 71Electroless copper — corrosion 20, hardness 41Electroless nickel — corrosion 70, hardness 68Nickel plate — corrosion 51, hardness 55Gold plate — corrosion 68, hardness 39Hard chrome — corrosion 40, hardness 73Hot-dip zinc — corrosion 90, hardness 42Nickel-PTFE — corrosion 72, hardness 57Silver plate — corrosion 55, hardness 39Solder plate — corrosion 42, hardness 9Tin plate — corrosion 34, hardness 0Zinc plate — corrosion 60, hardness 30Zinc-nickel — corrosion 86, hardness 60Cerakote — corrosion 83, hardness 27E-coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Epoxy coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Powder coat — corrosion 83, hardness 14AlCrN PVD — corrosion 58, hardness 93AlTiN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 94CrN PVD — corrosion 62, hardness 83DLC — corrosion 55, hardness 93MoS2 PVD — corrosion 20, hardness 26TiAlN PVD — corrosion 50, hardness 93TiCN PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 92TiB2 PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 94TiN PVD — corrosion 45, hardness 87WC/C PVD — corrosion 48, hardness 77ZrN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 90CVD alumina — corrosion 70, hardness 85CVD TiCN — corrosion 38, hardness 92CVD TiN — corrosion 45, hardness 87Multilayer CVD — corrosion 62, hardness 88HVOF coating — corrosion 78, hardness 77Plasma spray — corrosion 60, hardness 68Plastic chrome — corrosion 72, hardness 71Electroless plastic — corrosion 58, hardness 39Clear coat — corrosion 20, hardness 12Soft-touch — corrosion 20, hardness 5PLATINGHARD COATINGSANODIZE & CONVERSIONPAINT & POWDERZinc plateWet paint — corrosion 59, hardness 10Wet paint
Anodize & conversionPlatingPaint & powderHard coatings

Specifications for Wet paint

The documents a drawing cites to define this finish, with the Type / Class rows that apply. Each links to a page explaining the standard.

Drawing call-out

WET PAINT, 2K POLYURETHANE, RAL 9005 JET BLACK, 30–50 µm TOTAL DFT, 20–30 GU AT 60°; MASK ALL THREADS, GROUNDING PADS, AND DATUM A

Which materials take Wet paint?

Verdict per material family, with the grades that behave differently. Each family links to its datasheets in the material library.

Material familyVerdictNotes
Aluminum
YesUse suitable pretreatment and primer.
Steel
YesPrimer or conversion pretreatment improves corrosion performance.
Brass
With careAdhesion and tarnish bleed-through require a qualified primer system.
Composite
With careSeal porosity and verify solvent compatibility.
Copper Alloy
With careTarnish and adhesion must be validated; pretreat immediately before coating.
DMLS / SLM
With careMetal AM parts can be coated after powder removal and suitable pretreatment.
Magnesium Alloy
With careUse a validated conversion pretreatment and coat promptly.
Polymer
With careResin chemistry, mold release, solvent attack, and cure temperature must be checked.
  • Low-surface-energy polymers may require plasma, flame, or adhesion-promoter treatment
Stainless Steel
With careSmooth passive surfaces require abrasion and adhesion-promoting preparation.
Titanium
With careNeeds mechanical profile and a compatible pretreatment.
Zinc Alloy
With careOutgassing and pretreatment must be controlled.
FDM
LimitedLayer lines and low-temperature polymers limit conventional oven-cured films.
MJF
LimitedPorous nylon can be coated after blasting and sealing.
SLA
LimitedFully post-cure first; many oven schedules exceed resin limits.
SLS
LimitedPorous nylon can be coated after sealing; film build fills texture.

How Wet paint is applied, and what it does to the part

  1. 1Clean and degrease
  2. 2Abrade or chemically pretreat
  3. 3Apply primer when required
  4. 4Flash
  5. 5Apply color coat
  6. 6Apply clearcoat when required
  7. 7Cure
  8. 8Inspect color, gloss, adhesion, and film thickness
DimensionsAllow the full dry-film thickness on each coated face; mask internal threads and close fits unless the tolerance explicitly includes paint.
Build-up per side20–80 µm — Dry film adds approximately its specified thickness normal to each coated surface.
MaskingUsually needed. Mask threads, precision fits, sealing lands, electrical contacts, bonding points, and identification areas before spraying.
ElectricalInsulating
Temperature limit120 °C (248 °F) continuous
AppearanceMatte through high gloss; smoothness and orange peel depend on substrate preparation and spray control.
Added lead time3–7 working days on top of the bare part

Design rules for Wet paint

What to decide on the drawing before the part goes to the finisher.

  1. Define color by RAL, Pantone, or an approved physical master.A color name alone does not control hue or metamerism.
  2. State dry-film thickness and gloss measurement angle.Color and gloss do not define dimensional buildup.
  3. Add radii to exposed edges where practical.Sharp edges receive less film and chip first.
  4. Identify every no-paint surface on the drawing.Threads, contacts, and bonding points can lose function under an insulating film.

Wet paint versus the alternatives

Finishes engineers weigh against Wet paint, and when each wins.

FinishCorrosionHardnessCosmeticCostThicknessChoose it when
Wet paint
this page
591090$$20–80 µm—
Powder Coating
Wet paint vs Powder Coating →
831485$$50–150 µmwhen a thicker, tougher metal finish is acceptable
UV-Cured Coating
Wet paint vs UV-Cured Coating →
25—90$$10–30 µmwhen rapid cure and a clear high-gloss plastic topcoat are required
CorrosionHardnessCosmeticLubricityEconomy
Wet paintPowder Coating

The radar overlays Wet paint with Powder Coating, its most common alternative — chosen when a thicker, tougher metal finish is acceptable. Scores in the table are 0–100 across every finish in the catalog.

Cost, lead time and compliance

Relative cost

Wet Painting is a standard-cost finish ($$): cheaper than about 67 % of the finishes FabDigit quotes.

Finishing is priced per part with a lot minimum, from FabDigit's own China-side rates cross-checked against US job-shop pricing. The exact figure appears on the instant quote once the part is uploaded.

Lead time and compliance

Added lead time3–7 working days
RoHSCompliant
NotesCompliance depends on pigment and formulation; solvent-borne systems emit VOCs and require controlled handling.

What Wet paint is used for

  • General metal parts
  • Large industrial machinery
  • Consumer product covers
  • Automotive interior trim
  • Painted prototypes

Wet paint — frequently asked

powder coating vs painting

Wet paint usually gives finer color and gloss control and works on heat-sensitive plastics, while powder coating commonly builds 50–150 µm and is tougher on metal. Wet paint is easier to touch up, but it uses liquid carriers and generally has lower edge-impact durability.

how thick is wet paint

A typical engineered dry film is 20–80 µm, depending on primer and topcoat count. State total dry-film thickness because a primer/basecoat/clearcoat stack is thicker than one color coat.

can you paint over aluminum

Yes, but degreasing and a suitable conversion treatment or primer are important for adhesion. Bare smooth aluminum can shed paint at edges or scratches if preparation is inadequate.

does paint change thread fit

Yes. A 40 µm film adds about 40 µm to each coated flank and can bind a close thread. Internal and external functional threads are normally masked or chased only when the coating specification permits repair.

what is 2K polyurethane paint

It is a two-component system in which resin and hardener chemically crosslink after mixing. It is widely used where a tougher, more chemical- and weather-resistant film is needed than a simple air-dry paint.