GLOSSARY

In order that you can be better equipped to let us know what you need and to get some idea of what we can do for you, we’ve listed some of our products, techniques and effects. These aren’t all universally recognised industry standard terms but they will be understood by good practicing refinishers. We hope they offer some kind of inspiration and insight into what’s possible in custom refinishing with QCW. Think about pairing and combining these techniques to realise your design. This list is by no means exhaustive and if there’s something you can imagine that isn’t here, drop us a line and we’ll see what we can do!

SOLIDS

Sometimes known as a “flat”colour. Offers equal light return throughout. Perfect for accents and graphics.

PEARLS

Always subtle. Pearls feature tiny ceramic beads which refract and appear to tint the light. Sometimes microflakes might be called pearl.

CHROMACOAT

Sometimes called Spectracoat, Chromacoat, Spectraflair, Chromaflair etc. When static, appears as a dynamic silver or grey but when struck with white light reflects a dramatic rainbow sparkle.

ACTION SPLATTER

Single colour applied at mid-range and low pressure suggests movement in the colour.

RUB-THROUGHS

Layers of colour are built on top of one another and then abrasions are gently made through the layers to reveal unique, organic, free-flowing shapes and colour combinations.

ILLUSTRATION

Wether you provide it or we create it for you, illustrative detail flourishes are a great way to add a unique element.

METAL BRUSHING

In the same family as polishing, brushing gives a non-gloss or “satin” type appearance by creating uniformed directional scratches in a finish. Looks crisp and is easy to maintain.

IRREGULAR SUBSTRATES

If it fits in our booth, we’ll paint it.

TRANSFER KITS

We of course prefer to paint all graphics but if you’re on a very tight budget or mid-way through a DIY project, we can create single colour vinyl transfers for you.

METALLICS

Small metallic particles known as ‘mica’ are suspended in the paint. The mica can be the same hue as the base colour or a complimentary or contrasting colour. Offers dynamic light reflection and sparkle.

CANDY

Translucent tinted product. Shows depth and lustre. Can be added to clearcoat. Most effective over silver or black.

FADES

Graduated colour transitions. Good fades happen over longer distances. Good fades have clear delineation between hues and no visibly discernible moment of transition. Well chosen colours give even more effective fades.

MULTI-STAGE STENCILLING

Stacked and layered stencils and masks are applied and removed. Delicate airbrushing at every stage helps create complex graphics.

CUSTOM GRAPHIC DESIGN

Tweaks and re-brands to familiar work or completely new creations for your new venture. We create digital mockups of logos, typefaces and flourishes before applying your unique graphics to the substrate. Our paint insight helps us create graphics which feel flat to the touch but imply great depth between colours.

CUSTOM DESIGNS

We can create bespoke one-of-a-kind finish designs just for you. We can work to your brief, collaborate with you to develop your ideas or, we offer a full OMAKASE process, where we simply surprise you with something exceptional!

MEDIA BLASTED GRAPHICS

Add permanent detailing in the surface of metals using low pressure, fine grade blast mediums. (Large scale paint removal through media blasting is outsourced).

JUST FOR FUN

Our extensive tooling and knowledge goes far beyond simple refinishing so ask us about a project you might have in mind.

CUSTOM COLOURS

As it sounds. A combination of colours are mixed and blended to create a one-of-a-kind exclusive hue.

FLURO / NEON

Vibrant fluorescent colour. Limited number of hues. Don’t ask for this. Really. Don’t. It is expensive, needs a white groundcoat, covers poorly, builds high, has terrible adhesion and it fades quickly.

HARDLINE MASKING

Using CNC stencil wraps or professional masking tapes, solid edged divisions are created between colours.

SINGLE STAGE STENCILLING

A simple or intricate stencil or mask is used in combination with at least two colours to create less complex graphics.

MARBLE EFFECTS

Waterbased product is floated over solvent based product. Whilst still wet, the waterbased product is manipulated to create veins, deltas and rivulets in the colour. Wildly varied and unrepeatable, marbles are distinctly unique.

FLOOD FILLS

Engravings and pantograph elements are filled with colour using a specialist tooling.

DIRECT ADHESION CLEAR

We use a specialist clearcoat straight onto the substrate without a coloured primer. This allows for protection of raw finishes or “windows” through to the metal (or carbon, wood etc) beneath.

FINELINE DETAIL

We can go small and still maintain great levels of detail. Just ask.

FLAKE

Small plastic or metallic flakes are mixed with a binder and applied over colour. Flakes come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. They can be applied heavy as in a hot rod car or with a sparse subtlety like in NJS bikes.

FLIP PAINT

Also known as ‘chromatic’ or ‘colour-shift paint’ or ‘chameleon’ paint. You might know it as the TVR paint. Powerful and impactful pearl type product. Applied over black, these products appear to change and shift colour as you move. Pricey but worth every penny.

EGGSHELL SPLATTER

A small handful of colours applied at low pressure at close range give an organic spotted mottle like an egg shell.

METAL POLISHING

A somewhat self-explanatory one. Multiple stages of abrasives and compounds on specialist wheels create varying degrees of reflective finish in the metal.

MATCHING HARDWARE

Stems, posts, cranks, pumps and everything in between. We can paint most things to match your bike’s finish.

LEAF & FOIL

Precious metals and imitation foils are applied between layers of product to add premium detailing. Our updated processes allow for sharp crisp lines not traditionally found in the medium.

CARBON RAWING

If you have a premium carbon bike with a factory finish, we can remove varying amounts of the finish beneath. No chemical stripper, no power tools, just meticulous hand abrasion.