Paint Glossary

Plain-English definitions for the terms you'll see on our products, technical data sheets, and guides.

Glossary of Terms

New to automotive paint? These are the words that come up most on our product pages, TDS sheets, and in the Learning Center guides.

Term	Definition
Basecoat	The color layer of your paint job — goes on after primer, before clearcoat
Clearcoat	The transparent protective layer that goes over basecoat — provides gloss, UV protection, and durability
Reducer	A solvent that thins paint to the proper viscosity for spraying — speed varies by temperature
Activator / Hardener	A chemical catalyst that causes 2K products (primers, clears) to cure and harden
Flash Time	The waiting period between coats that allows solvents to evaporate
Wet-on-Wet	Applying the next coat while the previous coat is still in its recoat window — no sanding needed
2K (Two-Component)	Products that require mixing with a hardener/activator to cure chemically
OEM	Original Equipment Manufacturer — the factory color your vehicle was painted
Blend	Feathering new paint into the surrounding panels so the repair is invisible
Block Sanding	Using a flat sanding block (rather than your hand) for a perfectly level surface
Grit	The coarseness of sandpaper — lower numbers are rougher, higher numbers are finer
Mil Thickness	A measurement of paint film thickness (1 mil = 1/1000 of an inch)
Orange Peel	A textured surface that resembles the skin of an orange — caused by improper technique or reducer speed
Fisheye	Small craters in the paint caused by contamination (oil, silicone, wax) on the surface
Solvent Pop	Small pinholes caused by solvents escaping through the paint film too quickly
Color Sand	Wet sanding cured clearcoat with very fine grit (1500–2000+) to remove imperfections before polishing

See a term on a TDS that isn't here? Every technical data sheet spells out the mix ratio, flash time, and recoat window for that product — and our FAQs cover the most common questions.