Custom finish guides

What to know before you book a finish.

Four ways to see a custom finish before it is sprayedA preview tool, a photo-editing mockup, a shop's past work or a color chip: what each one shows you, what it costs and where it falls short.
How to choose a Cerakote colorWhy a swatch never quite matches the part, what the H and E series codes mean, and how to narrow a catalog of well over a hundred colors to one.
Two-tone finishes: how to pick a pair of colorsHow to choose two colors that work together, where the color break should fall, and what a second color usually does to the price of a job.
How camo finishes are sprayedWhat goes into a camo coating: the base, the stencils, the order of the colors, and why a pattern costs more than a single color.
Distressed and worn finishes: the look of honest useHow a battle-worn or distressed coating is made, why it is more work than it looks, and what to ask a shop before you book one.
Cerakote vs powder coat: how they differFilm thickness, cure temperature, color range and where each one suits best. A plain comparison of two of the most common finishes on metal hardware.