PewPreview Guides Two-tone finishes: how to pick a pair of colors
Two-tone finishes: how to pick a pair of colors
Two colors are the simplest step up from a single finish. Most of the work is in choosing where one stops and the other starts.
Two ways to pair colors
Close together keeps things quiet: two tones from the same family, like a dark bronze with a darker grey, read as depth rather than as a color change. Far apart makes a statement: a dark main color with a light or metallic accent draws the eye straight to the accent. Every color page lists both the colors nearest it and strong partners from other families.
Break at a natural line
A color change looks right where the part already changes, such as a seam, an edge or a separate component. Those lines are also the easiest to mask, because some parts come off and are coated on their own. A break across a flat panel needs careful masking and shows any wobble.
Keep the small parts in mind
Pins, screws, levers and similar small parts count too. Leaving them uncoated, or giving them the accent color, changes the look more than people expect. Say which you want when you ask for a quote.
What it does to the price
A second color usually means more masking and sometimes a second cure, so it costs more than a single color. How much more varies by shop. Pew-Price shows what shops advertise, and the studio lets you pick a color part by part, so the shop can quote exactly what you want.