Clear Coat vs Lacquer

If you’ve ever got your car or musical instrument serviced or done some woodworking, you’ve probably heard the terms clear coat and lacquer. They’re often used interchangeably but actually mean completely different substances.

“Clear coat” is a broader term for any clear, unpigmented paint applied as a top coat. The most common clear coat used in car paint is polyurethane-based paint. Lacquer is a nitrocellulose, acrylic, or water-based finish that comes in an unpigmented or colored form.

In the rest of this article, I’ll explain the similarities and differences between the two substances. I’ll also elaborate on the common misconception that both terms mean the same thing.

Key Differences Between Clear Coat and Lacquer

Note: The use of “clear coat” in this section refers to modern polyurethane-based paint.

While many places around the world use both terms interchangeably, there are noticeable differences between the two.

Composition

The first and biggest difference between the two is in their composition. While they may look similar to the untrained eye, they have completely different base materials.

Clear coats are usually made of polyurethane or urethane. These materials give it the shine it’s known for, making it ideal for the automotive industry.

Most modern cars use a polyurethane-based clear coat as the top coat of paint. In some places, they may use the term enamel clear coat to refer to the same thing.

Lacquer is an older type of finish. The original lacquer was made from tree sap and used in Asian ceramics and woodwork. Modern lacquers may be synthetic. Many car companies or services refer to lacquer as an acrylic clear coat.

Quality

While both types were used as clear top coats on various products, lacquer predates modern clear coats.

When applied to wood, lacquer tends to mix in with the base coat and change color with age. It usually gets a beautiful rusty-red color with time, which makes it ideal for musical instruments or certain wood products that look better aged.

However, this very feature makes it unsuitable for automobiles or other, specially colored products. Thus, automobile manufacturers began using modern polyurethane-based clear coats on cars to provide that glossy finish.

Lacquer also provides a stronger shine or gloss but lacks long-term protection. Lacquer finishes on cars generally wear out faster, especially when used regularly under the sun. Thus, most showroom cars still contain a lacquer finish, as it makes them look glossier, and they remain indoors, so they don’t wear out.

Polyurethane clear coats aren’t as shiny as lacquer but provide better long-term protection from the sun.

Ease of Application

Both lacquer and polyurethane clear coats are thick and difficult to apply in their regular state. Both have to be mixed in with a thinner to spray them evenly.

An advantage of clear coats is that they stay on the surface of wooden objects without penetrating the wood itself, unlike lacquer.

However, the downside to a polyurethane clear coat is that it takes longer to dry and requires sanding before applying successive coats.

Use

While both products produce a clear finish, most use them for different materials. A polyurethane clear coat is commonly seen in the automotive industry or other metalwork, while lacquer is used even in decorative crafts, ceramics, and woodwork.

Is Clear Coat The Same As Lacquer? (PAA)

While many use the terms interchangeably, clear coat and lacquer are not the same things.

“Clear coat” is more of an umbrella term used to refer to any material that provides a clear, glossy finish. Here are some materials commonly referred to as clear coats.

• Urethane-based paint
• Polyurethane-based paint
• Acrylic lacquer
• Unpigmented resin
• Varnish

“Clear Coat” is not the same as lacquer. In the automotive industry, “clear coat” usually refers to urethane or polyurethane paint. While lacquers were used as clear coats in the past, most modern cars don’t use them anymore, as they don’t provide as much damage protection as modern clear coats.

However, lacquer is typically shinier and glossier, so you may still find them used on showroom cars. They’re also used extensively on furniture, decorative woodwork, and ceramics.

In some parts of the world, even car mechanics or services will use lacquer and clear coat interchangeably. This misconception comes from a lack of knowledge of the base ingredients of the clear coat.

If you’re unsure which type of clear coat your car requires, you can check the manual for servicing information or ask your mechanic if you can see which can of clear coat they used. You can then determine which clear coat you need based on the ingredients.

Which is Better, Lacquer or Enamel? (PAA)

Lacquer and enamel are types of clear coats used in the automotive industry, woodworking, and decorative items. Both have pros and cons that make them suitable for different projects.

Lacquer paints dry faster, which makes them better for projects that require multiple coats of paint. However, enamel paint lasts longer and provides better protection than lacquer.

Here are some pros and cons of enamel (polyurethane or urethane) clear coats.

Pros

• Enamel paints provide better protection from the sun.
• Enamel paints last longer without chipping or flaking.
• Enamel paints don’t seep into the base coat or base material, making them ideal for items that can get damaged if paint seeps in.

Cons

• Enamel paints take longer to dry, making it harder to apply multiple coats.
• Enamel paints often require sanding before applying successive coats because the new coat doesn’t adhere to the previous one.

Here are some pros and cons of lacquer.

Pros

• Lacquer dries faster.
• Lacquer adheres well to previous coats, making it easier to apply successive coats.
• Lacquer provides better shine.

Cons

• Lacquer doesn’t provide long-term sun protection.
• Lacquer sometimes seeps into materials like wood or base paints.
• Lacquer starts chipping or flaking faster.

Conclusion

“Clear coat” is a term used to refer to any material that provides a glossy finish over regular paint. This term can refer to lacquer, regular unpigmented paint, unpigmented resin, varnish, etc.

However, in modern usage, clear coat commonly refers to urethane or polyurethane-based paints. Thus, clear coat and lacquer mean different things in their modern usage, despite lacquer being a type of clear coat.