Flat Black

[hotrod ford]

What is a good way to give a vehicle a flat black look. What is the difference between flat and satin?

[71PA_Highboy]

The amont of Gloss...

Flat is as close to 0% gloss, and Gloss is 100%.

So here is the way it works out in the spray can labels:

Flat
Semi-gloss
Matte
-> satin (depending on vendor's description... there is no 'standard' for satin, so this is a test yourself kind of thing)
Semi-flat
Gloss

Most paint shops have a flattening agent you can add to any color. That said, duplicolor just came out with a matte clear. There was a bit about it recently on 'Trucks' on Spike TV.

All of this is remembered from when I worked in an art/marketing department, so I could be wrong...

[SVT522]

I painted my F250 with low-gloss black from Tractor Supply (it's made by Valspar) three years ago and it still looks. I also painted my daughter's fiance's car with the same paint and it turned out nice. I used their hardner to make it more durable and it cost about $40 to paint each vehicle. I used a Harbor Freight HVLP gun and it worked great.

[69farmtruck]

I gave used the valspar from tractor supply also on a 76 shortbed I had. The paint sprays easy and covers good, And I would recomend it , how ever its an oil based enamal, So if you plan on changing colors later I would not as you will have to strip the whole truck. Hot rod flatz makes a good base coat clear coat flat.