Paint Types

Single-Stage vs Base-Clear vs Tri-Stage 

What do people mean by single-stage paint, clear coat, B/C, base-clear, base-coat/clear coat, two-stage, tri-stage and three-stage paints? Actually, there are only 3 basic processes in all of that jargon and they are pretty simply related:

1-Stage or "Single Stage"

2-Stage or "Two Stage," "Bi-Stage," "Base-Clear," "Base-coat/Clear-coat," "B/C"

3-Stage or "Three Stage," "Tri-Stage," "Candy" 

Each "stage" is a step in the process. Think of the stages like the bands of colored rock in the photo below. Each band of color can be made of multiple layers of the same material built up over time:

Single-Stage:  It can also be called one-stage or 1-stage. First off, single-stage does NOT mean one coat of paint. Any reputable shop will apply 2-3 coats of paint to your vehicle. Single stage means that all of the paint has a single color and chemical composition. The color is uniform in the paint. So in relation to the rock formation, single-stage paint is equivalent to one or more layers of rock that are all the same color and material.

Single-stage paint was the type used on most cars before 1987. After 1987 manufacturers switched to mostly 2-stage paint. Virtually any house paint is single-stage paint. Single-stage paints available for automotive purposes can be very good stuff. The technology is mature and well understood. Single-stage polyurethanes are available that survive very well against sunlight, acid rain, bird droppings and all of the other environmental hazards that your car gets exposed to every day. Note that there are also some extremely cheap paints out there. Any of single-stage, two-stage or three-stage can be painted with poor materials that produce lousy results and don't last long. Single-stage paints are generally less expensive than 2- or 3-stage paints and can be a great choice for vehicles that you only plan to keep for 1-4 years.

This 1950s Cadillac was painted with Single Stage when originally manufactured.
The owner asked Almost Everything to add single stage red over the existing black to create a 2-tone effect

There are things to consider with single-stage paints including ability to color match, gloss, texture, "orange peel," wet sanding or color sanding, solids, metallics, pearls. Stop by the shop for an in-depth discussion.

Caution for Gold, Silver, Champagne and Pearl Colors
Metallic and pearl colors, especially gold, silver, champagne look much different in single-stage compared to 2-stage. To create white pearl colors, you have to move to a 3-stage paint. White pearl is not possible in single-stage or two-stage paint. The example shown here hangs in our customer service area. Both sides of the panel are supposed to be the same champagne color. The left side is painted with single-stage and the right side with two-stage (base coat/clear coat). The metal and pearl particles on the single-stage side do not reflect as much light and the color looks darker and less lively. This issue is a major reason that 2- and 3-stage paints were developed. Two-stage and 3-stage paint provides better control of metal and pearl particles and improves the appearance of colors with these effects. It is a material and process limitation issue, not a quality issue. This issue exists with any paint manufacturer.

Two-Stage:  It can also be called 2-stage, bi-stage, base-clear, base coat/clear coat, B/C, etc. In this case the 1st of the two stages is the base coat. It contains the colored paint. The 2nd stage is the clear coat--layers of clear paint that go on top of the color paint to provide protection & gloss. So in relation to the rock formation, 2-stage paint is equivalent to two bands of rock stacked together. Auto manufacturers in the USA phased-out single stage paints and transitioned to two-stage or base coat-clear coat paints in 1987.

Any paint is designed to protect the car against damage from sunlight, acid rain, bird droppings and all of the other environmental hazards that your car gets exposed to every day. Reputable shops like Almost Everything Auto Body will apply 2-3 coats of base-coat AND 2-3 coats of clear-coat to your vehicle. 2-stage paints cost a little more initially than single-stage paints but are generally a more economical choice when it is important to keep the vehicle looking good, when you want to maintain resale value or you plan to keep the vehicle for more than 3 years because they are easier to maintain, last & look better longer.

Some advantages of 2-stage paints:

• Better UV protection & resistance to fading from sunlight
• Easier maintenance with ability to remove scratches that don't penetrate down to the color layer
• Better resistance to chipping
• More variety, better looking & more vibrant colors & metallic finishes
• Better gloss & "wet" look
• Easier to achieve uniform color appearance
• Possible to address cosmetic issues like dust specks and paint runs
• Generally look better, longer than single stage paints

The process and materials used in 2-stage paints result in a more uniform layer of color that causes metallic paints to be more brilliant. The single-stage process is not capable of achieving the same results and certain colors–especially golds, silvers, champagnes and bronzes–can look dull and grey in single-stage when compared to 2-stage. When color is important, choose 2-stage paint to achieve the right hue & luminosity.

I began to type "disadvantages" but I don't think that the following is really a disadvantage as much as a difference between single-stage and 2-stage paints that may affect the type of paint you choose. When 2-stage paint reaches the end of its useful life, usually 7-14 years after the car was originally built and painted, instead of fading like single-stage paints, the top, clear layer turns cloudy and if not repaired, can start to peel and expose the more fragile color coat and even the metal underneath. We call this delamination. Many customers find failing clear coat ugly and more objectionable than the relatively uniform fading that is found on older-technology single stage paints. It is important to remember that 2-stage paint provides great protection and looks better longer than single-stage paint but, in our opinion, it does fail less gracefully when its time is done.

It is a good idea to get a car re-painted when this delamination starts to happen for a number of reasons--number one being cost. The longer the car goes without new paint, the more damage that happens to the existing paint, the greater the chance for rust and the more work that is required to fix the problem, not to mention, the car becomes embarrassing, looks worn-out and starts to quickly lose value. You should not allow anyone to put new paint on top of delaminating paint. The old, delaminating paint will continue to peel under the new paint and the new paint will quickly peel off just like the old stuff was doing! Don't waste your money on new paint if you don't plan to get the failed paint reconditioned first.

Three-Stage: Just like the previous two processes, 3-Stage or Tri-Stage adds one more set of layers to achieve more exotic effects. The most commonly recognized 3-stage paints are Pearl White and "Candy" colors. There isn't a good way to make Pearl White with either single stage or 2-stage paints. You can't get that magical scintilation effect. The first layers consist of a white base color. The 2nd stage are translucent layers containing the pearl. Light passes though the pearl layer, bounces off the white layer and reflects back out. This gives us the depth, sparkle and variation effects of this paint. The final stage is just clear coat paint to provide protection to the first two stages. Candy paints are a variation on this theme.

Quality Paint
There are cheap paints out there–any of single-stage, two-stage or three-stage can be painted with poor materials that produce lousy results and don't last long. Almost Everything uses only top quality paints from the supplier used on NASA's Space Shuttle, the Golden Gate Bridge, NASCAR racers and just about every car make & model since the Model T Ford.

For even more information (and to tell us where you think we have it wrong,) come to the shop. We are always happy to discuss nuances of paints.