stardustcolors | The blog of Stardustcolors paints

9 January 201424 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

AIRBRUSHING PAINTS – SPARKLE RANGE

Discover the colour from a new perspective !

Stardustcolors presents its brand new range of airbrush paints : pearl, metallic and chameleons paints, available in 32 iridescent colors.

Airbrush paint perlescent / Pearl finish

– Ready to use and already thinned according to the thinning recommendation for an optimal application performance

– To be applied easily and safely to all common substrates, as long as this one has been properly prepared and primed

– Top coat needed: It provides a glossy and protective film

Metallic finish

– Simple to achieve for a vibrant effect

– Created by combining powdered metal and pigments, Solvent based 2K paints

– To be sprayed in repeated and thin passes rather than in thick coats

Chameleons

– Colour shift effects, depending on the angles and light

– Ready to use with any airbrush nozzle

– Use a clear coat with a good UV inhibitor to protect your perfect paint job

These paints, of the GRAPHIC brand, meet the highest quality standards in terms of manufacturing and ingredients.

Decorative paint effects for Airbrush

They can be used for car paint, or for modeling painting (Lexan, polyester fiber, etc..).

These pearl or metallic (micro glitter flakes) paints, produce a variety of colours and reflections, when observed in the shade or under direct light.

Specially designed for airbrushing or spray paint, their grain is very fine and their colours are intense and saturated.

The Sparkle range paints are very easy to use: Simply ensure to apply the paint over a black or white background.

One of our latest product : True fire effect

Start airbrushing simple flames for rendering dramatic and realistic interpretations of actual fire burning down the surface of motorcycles paint, automobiles, boats and aircraft. Graphic templates can be provided to help you in your painting and save you precious time masking and drawing curves by hand.

5 December 201324 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Chrome Machine

A good alternative to the “sputtering” process and galvanization.

The Chrome Machine perfectly reproduces chrome look and other metallic colours: aluminium, stainless steel, copper, bras , gold, etc.

This is a unique machine with a system of spray guns and a complete professional portable equipment, in order to start your chrome paint immediately. It fits easily in small paint booths or in a large area of production.

The manufacturing quality guarantees a precise and perfect chrome paint job.
The machine is supplied with a full technical datasheet to enable you to realize your projects.

You will obtain the desired 100% “mirror effect”.

How does it work?
Pure silver plating is used, under a stream of distilled water. The chrome is then protected with a polyurethane topcoat.
Depending on the size of the paint booth, you can chrome as many pieces as you wish , and with a little practice you will able to chrome larger parts.
Note that the machines from competition allow you to chrome only small parts with good results.

Candy on Chrome:
By applying a Candy paint mixed with a clear coat on the chrome parts, you will obtain a “coloured chrome” for stunning special effects.

Some tips:
It is necessary to start with clean substrates such as a primer or a gel coat preparation, as any roughness or hole on the surface will be visible.
The list of substrates that can be worked with chrome paint is quite broad: plastic, metal, wood, polyurethane …
Please note that the Chrome paint will not erase defects, but, on the contrary, will reveal them: because chrome paint is highly reflective, it will highlight any imperfection.

It is best to avoid long exposure to UV (in a stationary position, during the day or the night) as a slight yellowing over time will appear.
Chrome that are slightly black and gold will not see their pigments change.

1 November 201324 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Imitation Gold Paint

There are several types of Gold Paint:

– Classic car gold paint (with dye) (picture 1) Shines under a source of light (natural or artificial) and adds some luminosity to your painting projects

 - Pearl Gold paint (no added dye) (picture 2) Produces a bright and vivid colour and is easy to apply over any coloured basecoat and will add brilliance to your vehicle’s design

– Diamond Gold Paint (picture 3) Transparent – their gold effect is achieved by reflection of light. Made out of tiny pieces of glass that reflects the light and high temperature resistant

– Candy Paint (aluminum or pearl background) (pictures 4 and 5) More UV resistant, intense and fine quality dyes. Provides the highest quality finishes for designers, fabricators, artists, companies in the display, prototyping, motorcycle paint, etc.

– Real Gold Paint (picture 6)

Almost as fine as chrome paint – An exclusivity of Stardustcolors

Gold chrome paint effect finish that literally looks completely reflective (mirror), and that exactly duplicates chrome plating or colored chrome finishes. Chrome gold paint can coat any type of material: metal, wood, glass, plastic, stone, fiberglass, ceramic, previously painted surfaces, galvanized metal, brick, concrete, as long as this later is smooth and has been previously prepared (follow standard practices and procedures for properly preparing surfaces for the application and provide adequate ventilation)

This finish is achieved without toxic products. Perfect resistance to abrasion, chemical products, bad weather conditions and UV.

GOLD Effect

None of the above techniques can match the Candy on Chrome technique:

How to paint a Gold chrome paint ?

Simply apply our Candy paint Yellow Gold 21 clear coat over chrome paint that has dried for 96 hours

Pearl paints for airbrushes

StardustColors provides small quantities of different paints packaged in small bottles specially designed for airbrushing. The perfect fluidity of the paint and their special dilution allows you to work easily and comfortably.  Professional quality airbrush paint, suitable for model-making and tuning paint as well.

18 September 201324 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Paints to apply with an airbrush

StardustColors has been presenting since 2011 all of its new paints specially designed for airbrush artists.

A new brand called Graphic, available in a full range of colours, in small 125ml pack size, along with two thinners, a transparent one and a cleaning one.

These products arrive in time to meet unsatisfied demand until now, as it was difficult to get anything other than water-based paints or inks and of foreign brands.

Packed by StardustColors, the airbrush paint were developed in collaboration with Regis Hanriot , a French artist and trainer, who put his big experience in airbrushing and car paint at the service of this exciting project.

The airbrush paints

After more than 20 years he’s working as a trainer and project / process / product developer in major paint companies ( Dupont, Akzo Nobel, Standox XL).

A self-taught and a passionate person, he practices airbrushing since the Kustom Kulture movement, and makes himself available for professional training in decoration and airbrushing.

The airbrush paint GRAPHIC paints are solvent-based paints 1K basecoat. They are already pre-diluted to allow a good flow, even with the smallest nozzles. They are compatible with the most good quality airbrushes.

They come in more than twenty colours, from opaque to semi- transparent shades (semi-transparent paints let a lot of light pass through them), and can be thinned up to 200 %. They are guaranteed lead-free products. They offer brighter colors, for free hand paintings or stencil works.

What are the benefits of solvent-based paints ?

They have many advantages comparing to water-based paints:

• Fast drying

• Thinner paint coat once dry

• Perfect UV resistance

• Greater fluidity, unlimited possibility of dilution, less clogged nozzles

• Better adhesion of the paint on many types of supports

Find more details on the data sheet and the application instructions for special airbrush paint.

23 July 20134 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Preventing Hazardous Exposure to Solvents

The most beautiful and resistant finishes we can experience are with automotive paints, however these latter often contain harmful organic solvents. StardustColors is very concerned about the safety of users (professionnals or amateurs) of its products, by making sure that they have a deep knowledge of harm associated to products use and by providing them with all advices for proper use of paints.

Painters often have the regrettable tendency to overlook risks, out of habit and for time savings:

-Cleaning tools with solvents with bare hands

-Spraying without wearing suitable respiratory equipment

By trying to gain a few seconds, for example exemption from wearing protective gloves or mask with filter, exposure to this invisible danger adds up day after day and can cause extreme damage many years after.

There are simple, quick precautions to take to stay safe!

Protect yourself

Routes of entry for solvents into the human body and special care to ensure safe handling or spraying:

-Eyes: eyes are easily penetrated by organic solvent vapours – Wear protective goggles. Full face respiratory masks will also do.

-Respiratory airways:

A basic rule of painting with solvents, if not carried out in spray booth, is to do it in an adequated ventilated place. Always wear a cartridge mask respirator, type A. Respirator cartridges must be changed regularly and as soon as you smell solvent.

Solvent based paint should not be stored in living quarters but kept in a ventilated room or equipped with air extraction system, out of children and animals’ reach.

During sanding breathing of any dust should be absolutely avoided, put on a dust mask specially designed for thin particles and with a perfect airtight fit !

-Skin: solvents easily and quickly penetrate the skin and pass into the blood stream

Always wear protective gloves and clothing. For hand washing, never use thinner but prefer 95% alcohol, which is non-toxic and a very good solvent.

Inform yourself

Solvent Specific risks and exposure prevention

Some components of automotive solvent based paints are very toxic, such as xylene and toluene (commonly used in paints and tints) or such as ethyl acetate (often present in thinners).

Isocyanates (contained in top coats and lacquers with hardener) are among the most hazardous substances in paint manufacturing, with lead chromate (a toxic component in yellow, orange and red pigments, and that is well-known for causing degenerative disease of the brain such as saturnism). These products are for professionals only.

The safe use of these products requires some particular precautions. To that end, safety instructions given on the cans must always be read and followed thoroughly.
If needed, we can also provide safety instructions sheets on request.

The substances contained in these products and their effects are fairly well known. However, little is known about the combined effects of these components.

Their immediate effects (skin and eyes irritation) are of little importance. Nevertheless their lifetime cumulative exposure have long tem adverse effects: toxic substances have the capacity to be permanently absorbed by the fatty tissue (fat, bone marrow, brain, cell) and can favour over the years cell mutation.

These hazardous agents also affect the organs of the body that filter them from the blood circulation (kidneys, liver, lungs, bladder…) and damage them. Solvents can have negative effects on the reproductive system.

21 June 201324 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Chameleons

Also called Flip flop, Beetle shell, Harlequin effects.

The famous Chameleons paints create an extraordinary and surprising visual effect by changing colour (double, triple or quadruple), as the observer moves around the painted object. Two main colours can always be noticed, while the secondary colours will show at the angles.

It’s the light reflection on the chameleon pearls that gives to the paints their multi-coloured changing effect.

That’s why it is important to always apply it over a black base coat, because black doesn’t interfere with light whereas chameleon pigments reflect light ( when applied over a white background, most chameleons are invisible). They are ideal to create your own custom paint, whether for car, motorcycle paint, or in the home. You will get a great chameleon paint that will amaze everybody.

StardustColors proposes a large choice of 16 chameleon colours, available in spray and in can, and divided up into three categories, as follows:

• Sparkle: Medium size pearl flakes. Transparent type

• Stardust: Very small size pearl flakes . Non transparent type

• Colorwave: Ultra-thin size pearl flakes. Transparent type

Special chameleon pigments:

• Liquid Crystal: Very small size pearl flakes. Non transparent type. Candy paint have been added to offer greater colour saturation and depth effect.

• Diamond: Large size pearl flakes. Ultra-transparent type. Top quality materials made with glass microparticles for high index of light reflection.

How to create unique and amazing colours ?

Some transparent chameleon pigments (and only those!), can be applied over any basecoat colour other than the usual black! You can spray over a blue, red, orange, white or even grey background, to get unique and unexpected combinations!

How to apply the chameleon paint ?

The painting technique is extremely easy. The first rule for painting chameleon is to apply the paint over a black background. The second one is to spray very thin passes. The more you add paint the more the chameleon will show and become coloured. If not enough paint is applied, the chameleon effect will not show properly.

17 May 201324 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Chrome paint

We use only the highest quality raw materials when manufacturing this paint.

In comparison with chrome paints of competing brands, our chrome paint is by far superior, according to many users reviews:
-Pure mirror chrome aspect
-Very pleasant to work with, non harmful
-Instant dry
-Good concentration and coverage power
-Excellent adhesion

Chrome spray paint

We have developed the first chrome spray paint that creates real chrome look on all small size objects. The spray is equipped with a special nozzle and the paint is always used on a black, hard and glossy background.

How to make chrome paint ?

Adhesion

We cannot guarantee the perfect adhesion of the chrome paint as it is applied on a surface that is obligatorily not sanded.
However, chrome paint shows excellent adhesion.
Paint adhesion tests, including by tearing, shows adhesion strength up to 4MPa.

What NOT to do : Never polish, nor use polishing products such as PolyLustre, or a polisher for the undercoat, or the paint will peel.

Excellent resistance

Chrome paint, once it has been clear coated, is as resistant as any automotive paint.

-Resists to high temperatures up to 300°C.
-Not sensitive to UV sun rays.
-Can be sanded and re top coated to repair a scratch

Any type of substrates (plastic, polycarbonate, metal, aluminium, wood) can be used as a support for Chrome paint.

Coloured chrome paint

You can also combine chrome paint with our Candy paint colours to get coloured chrome mirror finish (as shown in the picture below). The effect is very simple to achieve.

After having applied the chrome paint and let it dry thoroughly, add a few drops of concentrated Candy paint to the clear coat, mix and apply directly on the chrome surface.

The result is always amazing.

Our chrome paint also exists in GOLD effect complete kit, that provides a very close imitation of gold mirror like surface, also designed for various types of substrates, for an unique shine.

Our chrome paint is proposed in different packings and is available immediately in stock.

FAST DELIVERY UK 48 hours.

Place your order at StardustColors UK

28 April 20134 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

CHROME PLATING

Chrome paint is the result of a technological innovation. It made its appearance a few years ago and since then has become an affordable product.

This product allows to paint a chrome like finish on any type of substrate (metal, aluminium, plastic, wood, polycarbonate) with a 90% guaranteed chrome effect.

Very easy to use, with a spray gun, and doesn’t require any special equipment!

Its other big advantage is that it is not harmful and environmentally friendly (composition: 95% alcohol)

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Chroming rims

Chrome paint is suitable for auto parts like wheels or bumpers. In such cases, top coating is essential to protect the paint from shocks and scratches.

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Decorative chrome plating

Chrome plating is a popular finish, not only in automotive paint, but also in the field of design, bottling and industry.

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Methods of chrome plating

The other methods for chrome plating are:

– the chrome machine (quite expensive)

– the chrome galvanized bathroom (now highly regulated in Europe)

– the chrome vaccuum plating (pieces limited size)

The mirror chrome paint, manufactured by Pearls and Flakes, is by far the best compromise in term of cost and time.

You will clearly see big savings and gain of time.

A 250ml can allows to paint 8 rims!

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Applying chrome paint

The painting itself is quite easy.

The most important is to have prepared the surface with a hard, glossy and black undercoat prior to the painting. The harder and glossy it s, the better chance of getting a beautiful mirror chrome effect.

Chrome paint dries instantly, but requires 2 to 4 days to fully cure.

Chrome paint can be baked at 150 ° C to accelerate the drying of the paint.

The delicate stage is the top coat that requires a great deal of skill. But thanks to the significant experience we have developed with our clients, we have designed a simple technique to clear coat over the chrome paint.

WITH TOP COAT WITHOUT TOP COAT

9 April 20139 December 2022 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Shedding light on photoluminescence

Fluorescence, phosphorescence and black light are terms that are often confused.

These three different names have all different effects and are all members of the photoluminescence family.

Photoluminescent paints refer to all types of paints which molecules are excited by light and which re-emit the energy absorbed as visible light.

StardustColors manufactures a wide range of photoluminescent paints.

· Fluorescent paints

They are well known for their « flashy » colours and are used in many fields.

Main characteristic: Display intense colour during the day.
Located in a visibility area, they have the unique ability to catch the public eye thanks to their bright intensity.

What are fluorescent paints ?
They absorb the light and reflect it immediately.

The most seen colours of the light spectrum to the human eye:

– during the day the human eye is sensitive to colours from yellow to orange

– while during the night, or at nightfall, green is best perceived

StardustColors manufactures 7 fluorescent colours: white, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, green and blue !

Note : Fluorescent paints react very strongly under black light.
Note : They are semi transparent.

· Phosphorescent paints

They work in much the same way as fluorescent ones, except that they release slowly the light.
The phosphorescent molecules, made out of natural materials, are excited by any source of light, and slowly release the energy in the form of phosphorescence.

Main characteristics: Invisible during the day, but clearly visible in total darkness

StardustColors produces by far the largest range of colours in Europe with 7 colours available : purple, blue, blue-green, green, orange, red, white.

StardustColors can help you through your project, to produce all kind of phosphorescent materials such as plastics, fabrics, adhesives and various objects.

Note: Some colours such as purple seem less strong, as their wavelength emission make them difficult to detect by the human eye. They are the shortest wavelength of visible light.

· Blacklight paint

They are also called ultraviolet or Blacklight.

These products have the particularity of reacting to waves ranges between 365 and 395nm (ultra violet light).
When exposed to UV blacklight, the paints, that were invisible, suddenly display bright colours.
Lamps, neon lighting or blacklight LED are usually used.
Used mainly in some recreational activities or in scientific fields or for security purpose (bank notes) they are quite recent.

Main characteristics: Invisible during the day, they become visible in total darkness

StardustColors creates 6 colours: yellow, pink, red, purple, blue and green (all invisible when exposed to blacklight).

Advantage: They don’t fade and their glow stays up through the entire night.
Disadvantage: They don’t resist to daylight.

· Infrared ink

Latest innovation from StardustColors, this special invisible technology, applied to scientific and medical use, glows very brightly (green) under a source of infrared light (980nm)

For further information, please contact us at : infos@stardustcolors.com

15 March 201317 July 2025 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Artists, Designers, Architects !!

StardustColors specializes producing paints

for automotive, but not only!

Our paints prove big hit with architects and designers

Today, a very large number of European or International clients, are interested in our pigments and in our special effects paints.

Architects and interior designers
Sculptors, designers (works of art, furniture…)
Manufacturers and scientists (clocks makers, chemical industry)
Bottling (perfumes, crystal glassware)

Our photoluminescent paints and materials

Our phosphorescent paints and photoluminescent products are also very popular and often represent an innovative solution for :

Buildings welcoming general public, to ensure safety in performance venues, trains, hotels, nightclubs.
Events during the day or at night

High tech products designed for artists

Everybody agrees that we offer the technical expertise and the necessary advices for the study and achievement of ambitious projects.

From the preparation of substrates such as concrete, or aluminium cladding, to the application of phosphorescent paint for architectural and artistic projects or of chrome paint resistant to bad weather conditions.

Our paints can be applied over various substrates such as glass, woods and mediums, metals or plastics and allow to many artists, sculptors and designers to fully realise their ideas.  We propose a full range of adhesion primers.