Silly paint question

You can always mix your paint with a gloss and then spray them.

If You use the Extracolor you can find all gloss colours(enamel)...........Also several Gunze acrilics are gloss.........Ciao Enrico.

The only silly question is the one not asked.

I can't speak for emamel, because I use acrylics. Acrylics, even gloss, have a "rough" texture, which create problems for decals, Silvering (tiny bubbles). Also, you need to "seal" acrylics against moisture from decaling. So, I paint with acrylics, put on a gloss coat of straight future. Let it cure a few days, then put the decals on. Followed a few days later with a dull clear coat. I think it mostly comes down to decal adhesion.

I would think mixing gloss with flat paint would cause a problem because the agent used to flatten the paint (talc for example) would still be in the paint medium which would still not give a true "gloss" finish suitable for decals.

The xtracolor paints seem like just what I want...too bad they aren't acrylics....but I definitely think I will give them a try...I have never been able to get Gunze paints locally here in CT...

In my opinion the extracolor paints are better than humbrol,you can thin them with white spirit,also their flat coat is very very flat.

The only way you could save a step would be only if your don't do any weathering on your models. Once the decals are on the model, another coat of gloss is needed to seal the decals and protect them from a wash. I paint with Acrylics so an oil wash would be quite harsh on unsealed decals. After the wash is done, then the final coat would be a flat one.

You are right. But then, you’d have to buy at least one less product which means less profit for the company selling you stuff.

FLAT acrylics, in fact all flat paints, have a rough texture, that’s what makes them flat, tiny bumps in the finish which diffuse the light, reducing reflectance. Gloss paint, whether enamel, oil, acrylic, laquer, or whatever, have exceedingly fine pigments and smoother carriers which reflect light better. Think of a mirror vs a woolen blanket.

Not so. Cured acrylic is as impervious to water and decal solvents as laquer or enamel.

And that Future is what? ACRYLIC floor covering.

True if the base p[aint is glossy, other wise you are very likely to get silvering.

Maybe. I have rarely used a gloss to seal the decals, going directly to a flat final layer before doing a wash.

One reason that i mainly use Xtracolour enamels, they are gloss so i avoid that step. Well, on aircraft anyway.

Also remember that flats dry very quickly as well which is a plus if you want to get to decaling.

I can paint with Tamiya flat acrylics, cure the paint in a heat lamp box for a couple of hours and then coat it with Future for decaling.