What Effects Do Our PVD Optical Pigments Offer
Find the right PVD optical pigments for your desired automotive finish.
For high-reflective and chrome-like automotive effects, our Chrome Metallic Optical Pigments and Translucent Chrome Optical Pigments offer different visual characteristics for custom coating applications.
For dynamic color-changing effects, our Opaque Color Travel Optical Pigments and Translucent Color Travel Optical Pigments provide distinctive color movement and optical variation from different viewing angles.
For sparkling, light-catching effects with strong visual dimension, our Color Travel Optical Flake delivers a distinctive PVD flake effect for custom automotive finishes.
What Can Our PVD Optical Pigments Create
See how PVD optical pigments can be used across automotive coatings and custom finishes. Browse our automotive coating pigments for your own product development.
Metallic
Our dry PVD optical pigments can be formulated into an effect basecoat or translucent intermediate coat alongside conventional metallic pigments, adding optical depth, brightness, color variation, or angle-dependent visual effects to the finish. This allows coating developers to move beyond conventional silver metallic toward more distinctive effects such as colored metallic and multi-effect metallic finishes, while retaining the reflective character of the underlying metallic layer.
Pearl
Our dry PVD optical pigments can be formulated into a pearl midcoat or translucent effect layer over a colored basecoat, adding luminous reflection, color depth, and subtle angle-dependent variation to conventional pearl finishes. This approach can extend traditional pearl effects toward more distinctive colored pearl, iridescent pearl, and multi-tone pearl finishes, while allowing the underlying basecoat color to influence the final appearance.
Color Shift
Our dry PVD optical pigments can be formulated into a translucent color-shift midcoat applied over a selected basecoat, creating dynamic color travel that changes with viewing angle and lighting. By varying the basecoat color, pigment selection, and midcoat build, coating developers can create custom color-shift and chameleon finishes ranging from subtle color variation to strong multi-color transitions, followed by a clearcoat for gloss and protection.
Candy
Our dry PVD optical pigments can be incorporated into a translucent candy midcoat or intercoat over a reflective basecoat, adding optical depth, brightness, and distinctive reflection to the layered finish. By combining pigment selection with different basecoat colors, coating developers can create richer optical candy effects, from deep jewel-like finishes to candy colors with enhanced sparkle and visual dimension, followed by a clearcoat for the final gloss and protection.
Flake
Our Color Travel Optical Flake can be incorporated into a transparent effect layer or coating to add strong color travel, sparkle, and optical depth while allowing the underlying base color to remain visible. Its larger flake structure creates pronounced light-catching sparkle, while the translucent PVD surface produces noticeable color variation as the viewing angle changes. This makes it suitable for developing custom color-travel flake finishes with both dynamic color and high visual impact.
Recommended Usage Levels
Use these ranges as a starting point and test small batches before scale-up.
| Pigment Type | Finish Type | Automotive Coating Product | Mix Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optical Pigment | Permanent | Basecoat | 5–25 g/gal |
| Permanent | Midcoat / Intercoat Clear | 5–25 g/gal | |
| Permanent | Clearcoat | 5–25 g/gal | |
| Peelable | Basecoat | 5–25 g/gal | |
| Peelable | Topcoat | 5–25 g/gal | |
| Optical Flake | Permanent | Midcoat / Intercoat Clear | 5–10 g/gal |
| Permanent | Clearcoat | 5–10 g/gal | |
| Peelable | Topcoat | 5–10 g/gal |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mix the pigment into my automotive clearcoat?
Yes. Our PVD optical pigments can be mixed directly into automotive clearcoat, including clearcoat used as a carrier for custom effect finishes. Start with a small test batch and adjust the pigment loading to achieve the desired effect.
Should I put the pigment in the basecoat, midcoat, or clearcoat?
For most custom effect finishes, we recommend incorporating the pigment into a clear midcoat or intercoat clear over the basecoat, then applying a final clearcoat for protection and gloss. The basecoat provides the underlying color, while the pigment-containing layer builds the optical effect. The pigment can also be added directly to a clearcoat or formulated into a single-stage effect paint.
What basecoat color should I use with this pigment?
Black is usually the best starting point for colorshift and other optical pigments when you want the strongest, most defined effect. White or silver can produce lighter, softer, or more subtle effects, while other basecoat colors can be used to shift or modify the final appearance. The best choice depends on the pigment and the finish you want to achieve. For more details, see our guide to base color effects.
Will your pigment work with the automotive paint system I already use?
Yes. Our PVD optical pigments can be incorporated into your existing automotive paint system using your preferred basecoat, clearcoat, or intercoat clear. We recommend starting with small-scale tests to confirm compatibility and achieve the desired effect before full-vehicle application. For more details, see our pigment mixing guide.
How much pigment will I need for a full vehicle?
A typical full-vehicle application may require about 20–100 g of pigment, depending on the coating system, vehicle size, number of coats, and desired effect. Use the recommended usage level for your specific coating system as a starting point and adjust based on test results. For more details, see our pigment loading guide.
Can I spray the pigment through a standard automotive spray gun?
Yes. Most of our PVD optical pigments are in the 5–50 μm range and can be sprayed through standard automotive spray guns when properly dispersed in the coating medium. An HVLP gun with a 1.2–1.3 mm tip is commonly suitable for these finer grades. Larger-particle grades may require different spray equipment or setup depending on the pigment and desired effect. For more details, see our spray application guide.
Does the final effect depend on film build?
Yes. Film build can affect how strongly the optical effect is seen, especially for color-shift and translucent effects. Additional coats can increase the visual presence of the effect and reduce the influence of the underlying basecoat. However, thicker film does not automatically create a stronger optical effect, so the pigment loading and coating system should be optimized together. For more details, see our layer design guide.
Can I combine the pigment with metallic, pearl, or flake effects?
Yes. Our PVD optical pigments can be combined with metallic, pearl, or flake pigments to develop multi-effect automotive finishes. For example, a Color Travel pigment can be combined with metallic or pearl effects for added brightness and depth, or with flake effects for additional sparkle. The balance between the different pigments will influence the final color, color travel, sparkle, and overall appearance. For more details, see our guide to mixing effect pigments.
Can your pigment be used in a candy-style automotive finish?
Yes. Our PVD optical pigments can be incorporated into a translucent candy-style effect layer over a reflective basecoat to add color, optical depth, color travel, or sparkle. The final appearance depends on the basecoat, pigment selection, concentration, and film build, allowing you to develop custom candy finishes with additional optical effects.
How should I test the pigment before spraying a full vehicle?
We recommend spraying a test panel or spray-out card using the same basecoat, pigment loading, coating system, spray gun setup, and number of coats planned for the vehicle. Evaluate the finished panel under different lighting and viewing angles, then adjust the pigment loading or application process as needed before full-vehicle application.