Powder Coating: The Complete Guide

Powder is one of the most difficult parts of the whole process, choosing one that is. There are literally thousands of different kinds of powders in different colors, textures, and gloss levels. Then add in the fact that you can mix powders(Beginners, don't do this yet!) and do multiple coatings to achieve even more looks. It is baffling, I spend a huge amount of time selecting colors.  If you would like to know some reputable websites to purchase powder from, check out my




Lets get in to the different types of powders, below refers to how or what the powder is actually made out of:

1. EPOXY - These types of powders are very impact resistant and are used when corrosion prevention and adhesion is needed the most. But, they can not be exposed to sunlight as they are not uv stable. They are best left indoors, under the car, or on factory equipment. In the sun, the epoxy coatings develop a whitish haze and eventually look like crap.

2. POLYESTER(Urethane and TGIC)- These are the most common powders, chances are, your powder will be polyester or a blend of polyester. They hold up great outdoors in the elements and have good all-around characteristics.


3. ACRYLIC - This is mainly used for clear coats. An acrylic clear powder coat will be very smooth and more clear than a clearcoat made of a different type of powder. Also has very good chemical resistance.

4. FLUOROPOLYMER - These have the best outdoor characteristics of all the powders, mainly used for outdoor industrial coatings, most of the powders you will be able to order in small amounts will not be a fluoropolymer.


Types of powders from a visual standpoint:

-Regular Solid Colors (covers all of the regular colors in all of their different gloss levels)


-Chromes(the most reflective types of powder, but the name can be misleading, while it shares the same characteristics as Chrome of being silver and very shiny, it will not actually look like real chrome plating. To me, this is not a bad thing, if you want the chrome look, either polish it(if your on a budget) or have it chromed. The chrome powder coat still has a beautiful and unique look. The downside to chrome powders is they all have to be clear coated. They are made up of actual aluminum flakes to give them that metallic shine. After they are cured, they will oxidize very fast leaving a terrible looking finish similar to bare aluminum if left unprotected. Clear coating the chrome prevents the oxidation from happening. Clear coating adds an extra step and it takes away the amazing look of the chrome powder coat but it is a necessary evil. The reason this happens is the clear top coat affects the way the light shines off of the chrome, instead of seeing the chrome reflection, you are seeing the clear reflection. Acrylic clear coat is best for minimizing this effect but no clear is invisible.

Chrome can also be used as a base coat for other colors, especially candy colors.

Here is an example of Black Chrome on a set of brake lines done by me:



- Candy colors: These come in many colors and they get their effect from being translucent.To achieve the candy look, the part must have either a chrome or silver powder coat base coat or have an actual chrome plated or polished finish .

Here is a wheel coated with a candy powder coat called Shocker Yellow from Prismatic Powders.  The base coat used was Super Chrome Powder Coat:

Here is an example of a Black wrinkle powder coat on a valve cover:


- Clears: Clear powder coat can provide a 2nd layer of protection to your powder coated pieces. You can also enhance the look using a clear powder coat. It gives some colors more depth, especially gloss black when top-coating it with a high gloss clear. Clears are available in different gloss levels and some have added metallic flakes, this allows you to make very unique colors that wouldn't normally be available. For example, black chrome looks great as is when it is glossy, but adding a flat or semi-gloss clear gives it a more subtle modern look.


An example of black chrome and semi-gloss:


This company has an amazing color sample wall, you can see almost every powder coat color that exists on their metal bottles, check out the pictures on their site.

Powder is one of the most difficult parts of the whole process, choosing one that is. There are literally thousands of different kinds of powders in different colors, textures, and gloss levels. Then add in the fact that you can mix powders(Beginners, don't do this yet!) and do multiple coatings to achieve even more looks. It is baffling, I spend a huge amount of time selecting colors. If you would like to know some reputable websites to purchase powder from, check out my recommendations Lets get in to the different types of powders, below refers to how or what the powder is actually made out of:1.- These types of powders are very impact resistant and are used when corrosion prevention and adhesion is needed the most. But, they can not be exposed to sunlight as they are not uv stable. They are best left indoors, under the car, or on factory equipment. In the sun, the epoxy coatings develop a whitish haze and eventually look like crap.2.(Urethane and TGIC)- These are the most common powders, chances are, your powder will be polyester or a blend of polyester. They hold up great outdoors in the elements and have good all-around characteristics.3.- This is mainly used for clear coats. An acrylic clear powder coat will be very smooth and more clear than a clearcoat made of a different type of powder. Also has very good chemical resistance.4.- These have the best outdoor characteristics of all the powders, mainly used for outdoor industrial coatings, most of the powders you will be able to order in small amounts will not be a fluoropolymer.Types of powders from a visual standpoint:-Regular Solid Colors (covers all of the regular colors in all of their different gloss levels)-Chromes(the most reflective types of powder, but the name can be misleading, while it shares the same characteristics as Chrome of being silver and very shiny, it will not actually look like real chrome plating. To me, this is not a bad thing, if you want the chrome look, either polish it(if your on a budget) or have it chromed. The chrome powder coat still has a beautiful and unique look. The downside to chrome powders is they all have to be clear coated. They are made up of actual aluminum flakes to give them that metallic shine. After they are cured, they will oxidize very fast leaving a terrible looking finish similar to bare aluminum if left unprotected. Clear coating the chrome prevents the oxidation from happening. Clear coating adds an extra step and it takes away the amazing look of the chrome powder coat but it is a necessary evil. The reason this happens is the clear top coat affects the way the light shines off of the chrome, instead of seeing the chrome reflection, you are seeing the clear reflection. Acrylic clear coat is best for minimizing this effect but no clear is invisible.Chrome can also be used as a base coat for other colors, especially candy colors.Here is an example of Black Chrome on a set of brake lines done by me:- Candy colors: These come in many colors and they get their effect from being translucent.To achieve the candy look, the part must have either a chrome or silver powder coat base coat or have an actual chrome plated or polished finish .Here is a wheel coated with a candy powder coat called Shocker Yellow from Prismatic Powders. The base coat used was Super Chrome Powder Coat:- Veins & Wrinkles: These powder coats actually provide a physical texture that you can see and feel. These textures can only be done using powder coating. They come in many colors and many types of textures. Besides adding the unique textured look, they can offer functionality where grip is needed. The texture actually can provide traction.Here is an example of a Black wrinkle powder coat on a valve cover:- Clears: Clear powder coat can provide a 2nd layer of protection to your powder coated pieces. You can also enhance the look using a clear powder coat. It gives some colors more depth, especially gloss black when top-coating it with a high gloss clear. Clears are available in different gloss levels and some have added metallic flakes, this allows you to make very unique colors that wouldn't normally be available. For example, black chrome looks great as is when it is glossy, but adding a flat or semi-gloss clear gives it a more subtle modern look.An example of black chrome and semi-gloss:This company has an amazing color sample wall, you can see almost every powder coat color that exists on their metal bottles, check out the pictures on their site.

Powder coating gives laser cut and waterjet cut parts a professional, clean finish that will protect them for years to come. There are a few materials that take to powder coating better than most, so we want to show you SendCutSend’s top six materials for powder coating and some of the many applications available to powder coated sheet metal parts.

How powder coating works and why we use it

Powder coating is unlike paint and other coating forms because it starts off as a fine powder, not a liquid. The powder is applied electrostatically in a sealed environment, and is then left to cure at high temperatures for a few minutes. For this reason, the only materials eligible for powder coating need to be conductive and able to withstand high temperatures during the curing process.

We prefer powder coating to paint or other aesthetic finishing processes for a few key reasons: 

1. It’s a durable protectant

• Powder coating is more durable than paint because it adheres perfectly to the material and is a fully solidified polymer, making it stronger and longer lasting. In the harshest conditions, powder coating can last over 25 years before showing signs of wear. This protects the parts themselves from wear as well. We ran six powder coating durability tests that showed that in the most volatile environments, parts are guaranteed to last longer and stay stronger with powder coating as opposed to paint or other finishing processes. 

2. It’s sustainable

• Paint contains volatile organic compounds which can wash away over periods of time or spread through the air during application, harming natural life and creating pollution. Powder coating contains none of these VOCs, creates no runoff, and doesn’t have to be reapplied every 5-10 years. This makes it one of the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly finishing processes available. 

3. It’s aesthetic

• Powder coating is one of the most aesthetically pleasing finishing processes available to laser cut or waterjet cut sheet metal. It’s smooth surface quality and even application elevates the material it adheres to in a way that regular paint cannot. Because of the unique application process, powder coating is also better suited to evenly coat the inner geometry and difficult to reach corners of more complicated parts, making the entire surface of the part more cohesive and well-protected.

SendCutSend’s top six materials for powder coating

SendCutSend currently offers six different metals in varying thicknesses for our online powder coating service. These materials have been selected by our team of experts after careful research surrounding finish, adherence, and application quality. We found that these laser cut and waterjet cut metals are the best candidates for powder coating:

Note: To ensure high edge quality and a well-adhered coating, we require that all parts be deburred before going to powder coating. If you are planning to add powder coating to your order, be sure that your parts fit within our deburring guidelines, as well as the powder coating guidelines, first. 

5052, 6061, and 7075 Aluminum

Being one of the top general purpose materials in most industries, laser cut aluminum can often be found powder coated for both aesthetic and functional purposes. Aluminum is one of the most corrosion resistant materials we offer at SendCutSend, so providing another layer of corrosion protection through powder coating will make your laser cut aluminum parts last longer in harsher environments than almost any other material. Powder coated aluminum lasts 25+ years in outdoor exposure without needing additional protection or refinishing.

Mild Steel

Laser cut mild steel as a standalone material is strong, durable, and hard. The only thing it doesn’t have is good corrosion resistance, so it requires a little more post-processing and finishing to get it ready for long-term use in corrosive environments. This makes mild steel an ideal candidate for powder coating. Here at SendCutSend, we offer three different finishes for our laser cut mild steel: cold rolled (1008), hot rolled (A36)*, and hot rolled pickled and oiled (A36).

*Note: Hot Rolled A36 mild steel has mill scale on its surface that cannot be removed in the blasting process. The mill scale creates surface texture variation that’s visible through the powder coat. For this reason, we recommend you choose Cold Rolled 1008 Mild Steel as an alternative material for powder coating. Cold rolled steel does not have mill scale and will take to the powder coating more cleanly.

4130 Chromoly

4130 chromoly is a versatile steel known for its high tensile strength, impact resistance, and lightweight qualities. It’s often used in motorsports, specifically bikes of all kinds, which need to be functional, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. 4130 chromoly steel is often powder coated for these reasons, despite being corrosion resistant and durable on its own. Laser cut 4130 is made even better and more versatile with the addition of powder coating.

316 Stainless Steel

High quality laser cut stainless steel is a longstanding favorite in the medical, aerospace, and food production industries. Between its smooth surface quality and high heat resistance, stainless steel takes to powder coating better than most other materials. While powder coating laser cut stainless steel is done most often for purely aesthetic purposes, it also provides a chip and scratch resistant surface that stainless steel cannot provide on its own. SendCutSend currently offers powder coating for 316 stainless steel.

Choosing the best material for your powder coated project

With our top six materials for powder coating, you have plenty of options to choose from for your next project. If you need some help deciding which one to use, check out our blog posts on powder coating to learn more about the process and what will work best for you. Or if you’re just looking for inspiration for a SendCutSend cut and powder coated project, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@sendcutsend) to see some of the coolest projects our customers have worked on.

Get your online powder coating quote instantly with no order quantity minimums today!