What is the difference between a metallic paint finish and a “pearl” paint finish?
Metallic paint, sometimes also called “metal-flake” has actual pieces of metal in it, which are highly reflective. The individual pieces tend to lay in the paint in a horizontal manner, as they are themselves fairly flat, and you can discern the individual pieces if you look closely. They are mixed in with regular paint. Pearlescent paints get their name from the pigments (the part that gives the paint it’s color) they contain which are very round in shape, which gives the paint an iridescent quality, which is to say it looks like a different color depending on the angle. This is different than translucent (candy) paints, which let a base coat show through the top-coat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearlescent… http://www.google.com/search?
