painting/coloring panels before applying design?

[rjd2]

im wondering if you folks who have done this can enlighten me. im about to do my first foray in lazertran, and i'd like to tint the panel before applying the design. was thinking a cream/off-white color. what are you folks using to do this? thanks.

[creatorlars]

I reccomend Dupli-Color Auto Spray paints & primers, as you can find at an auto supply store. It works much better than Rust-o-leum or similar hardware store brands. Just take your time and use a proper spraying technique.

[creekree]

i use auto-k brand spraypaint. it comes in lots of colors and lots of different shades of the same color.
the idea behind it is that you can buy the exact shade of color like your car has, to repair dents etc.
like, you can buy a rattlecan with 1989 VW "polar white" or a 2001 mercedes blue or a...
thing is: it is much better spraypaint than the ones sold in hardware stores.
there even is a dedicated clearcoat, which you have to apply BEFORE the paint is thoroughly dry (after 30 minutes).
what i do is: i sand and degrease my panels, then i use primer. then i wetsand the primed panel with water and 800 grit paper. maybe then the panel needs another layer of primer, it strongly depends on how good your initial sanding was.
i then paint it in the color i like, clearcoating it after 30 minutes. i let it rest for an hour, then i put it into the oven, at 50°C, for about 45 minutes.
after the panel has cooled down completely i apply the lazertran.
next i let the panel rest until the next day, when the clearcoating begins.
use several layers and wetsand between them. if you're good you can make the edges of the lazertran cutouts totally vanish. (like, if you dont want to waste sheet after sheet of the stuff youll end up compacting your layout and cutting it up, only using lazertran when needed. if clearcoatd only once you'll notice that it is clearly visible that there is some kind of "sticker").
it is noteworthy that it is absolutely wrong to rush things here - if you for instance attempt to wetsand a layer of clearcoat that is not completely hardened, then you'll just - excuse my french- fuck it up.
take your time.

hope that helps.
oh yeah, i am from germany, so i dont know if you'll get auto-k paint in wherever you are, but the principle behind making panels should be the same.

[rjd2]

thanks alot, guys. very helpful!