Not sure if this would go into General Technical, but what is the difference between a metallic, mica and solid colour?

What is the process in the manufacturer's plant to paint car's and what kind of colour is the most recommended?
I always thought of a metallic colour being more robust and not deteriorating so much over the years than a solid colour (like red for example). And what is a mica colour?

Thanks for shedding some light into this.

Rmaon

 

Right here goesA solid colour is just that solid its made up of diffrent tinters to acheive the dessired colour then applied in one to two coats with the laquer pigment already mixed in, this is what gives it its shine. This is more prone to fading over a period of time this is why most car manufactures use clear over base these days for solid colours ie base solid colour then laquer coated. Metalic base coats are similar to solid coats but with added metalic particles depending on the desired finish you want to achieve ie the flip on the panels most metalic colours use about 5 to 6 diffrent tinters to get the required shade that is applied to your car

 

Thanks for the info,

what would be a "Mica" colour then? example, what is the difference between blue or black and blue/black mica?

Thanks,
Ramon

 

A mica is simply another name for metalic when you say blue/black it means the colour looks blue in certain light and black in other angles ie the flip of the panel in sunlight ,Fords panther black is a good example of this.

 

So "Mica" would be the same as "Pearl"?

 

A pearl is a type of tinter that ia added to a metalic mix to give the look of colour change as you move around the panels a bit like candy flips and custom paint jobs you see now days