{"id":114855,"date":"2025-01-20T16:17:32","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T16:17:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jtape.com\/what-causes-orange-peel-on-car-paint-and-how-to-avoid-this-paint-defect\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T11:00:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T11:00:09","slug":"what-causes-orange-peel-on-car-paint-and-how-to-avoid-this-paint-defect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jtape.com\/en-us\/news\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\/","title":{"rendered":"What Causes Orange Peel on Car Paint? And How to Avoid This Paint Defect"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is the paintwork faded, full of swirls, or dents and scrapes? Worse yet, has the car been badly repaired, leaving an orange peel effect on the paintwork where it should be perfectly smooth?<\/p>\n

Orange peel on a car is a dead giveaway that paint hasn\u2019t been applied properly, usually through a cheap, low-quality repair that doesn\u2019t represent the attention to detail and dedication to providing optimum results that the painting and refinishing industry is known for.<\/p>\n

In this blog, we\u2019re going to take a look at what orange peel is, what causes it, and how to avoid it so that you can deliver a high-quality refinishing job every time. If you\u2019ve ever been tasked with repairing orange peel paint, we\u2019ll even cover that too.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

What is orange peel in car paint?<\/h2>\n

When painting or repainting a car, a smooth, even finish is the desired effect. If you end up with a bumpy, uneven finish, something has gone wrong somewhere in the painting process.<\/p>\n

Orange peel in car paint can appear when the paint hasn\u2019t dried properly, leading to a bumpy finish resembling the peel of an orange.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an avoidable problem that you can steer clear of by simply using the right techniques and tools for the job at hand.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

What causes orange peel in car paint?<\/h2>\n

Although the end result is the same, there isn\u2019t just one thing that can cause orange peel in car paint. There are a few different missteps that can cause this all-too-common, yet avoidable, issue to occur.<\/p>\n

Poor preparation, such as not properly cleaning the area, may lead to an uneven application process. This is something that may require a complete rework on the job.<\/p>\n

The paint must also be at the perfect viscosity to adhere to the bodywork correctly, if it\u2019s not, you may end up with orange peel paint.<\/p>\n

Poor spray gun technique, possibly from an inexperienced bodywork professional, may also lead to this mishap. Practice makes perfect with paint application, so be sure to practice on scrap before turning your hand to a client\u2019s pride and joy.<\/p>\n

If the paint looks good when it\u2019s applied but comes out of the oven with an orange peel finish, it could be down to improper curing or environmental factors like temperature and humidity when it was applied.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

How to prevent orange peel when painting a car<\/h2>\n

Now you know what can cause orange peel paint, you\u2019ll probably want to avoid it. Here are six handy tips to make sure that the final product is even and smooth.<\/p>\n

1. Prepare the surface correctly<\/h3>\n

Making sure that you\u2019re starting with a smooth, clean surface that has been properly sanded can help avoid orange peel paint.<\/p>\n

2. Configure the spray gun to the correct settings<\/h3>\n

Adjust the settings on your spray gun to ensure that the nozzle size, pressure, and fluid are controlled so that the paint application is even.<\/p>\n

3. Ensure professional spraying technique<\/h3>\n

The spray pattern, distance, angle and applying paint in several thin coats are all crucial to ensuring a professional, high-quality finish. Maintaining consistent overlapping spray passes also ensures even paint coverage and prevents dry spots. Maintain these throughout to avoid orange peel.<\/p>\n

4. Ensure paint viscosity is as recommended<\/h3>\n

Paint manufacturers spend a lot of time and money developing paint to be applied at a certain viscosity. Always follow the manufacturer\u2019s instructions for thinning your paint with the correct reducer to ensure the paint is prepared to the required viscosity.<\/p>\n

5. Paint in the right conditions<\/h3>\n

The more tightly controlled the conditions are when painting, the more likely you are to get a great finish. Controlling things like humidity and temperature is essential.<\/p>\n

6. Take extra care when drying coats<\/h3>\n

The drying process is just as important as the painting process. Ensure that the drying process is thorough and you allow enough time at the correct temperature to complete this process.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

How to fix orange peel on car paint<\/h2>\n

Sometimes mistakes happen, or you might be tasked with fixing someone else\u2019s work. If that\u2019s the case, you might need to fix orange peel paint. Here are some tips to do so.<\/p>\n

Sand & polish<\/h3>\n

For most minor instances of orange peel paint, a simple sand and polish will fix the issue. Mask off the affected area with a high-quality tape like\u00a0JTAPE Black Premium Cloth Tape<\/a> to ensure a premium finish that protects the area without requiring any rework. Once complete, it can be easily removed, leaving no adhesive residue behind.<\/p>\n

Wet sanding the area<\/h3>\n

For particularly bad examples of orange peel paint, you might opt to wet sand<\/a> the area. Following this process can help ensure that orange peel paint is a thing of the past.<\/p>\n

That concludes our blog about orange peel paint and how you can avoid it. Whether you\u2019re fixing your own work or someone else\u2019s, you\u2019re now equipped with the knowledge to be able to solve the problem with ease. <\/strong><\/p>\n

With the right knowledge alongside JTAPE\u2019s range of high-quality tapes<\/a>, you can ensure that each paint job is completed with precision and professionalism. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is the paintwork faded, full of swirls, or dents and scrapes? Worse yet, has the car been badly repaired, leaving an orange peel effect on the paintwork where it should be perfectly smooth? Orange peel on a car is a dead giveaway that paint hasn\u2019t been applied properly, usually through a cheap, low-quality repair that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":112073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[698,585,742],"tags":[],"news-product-type":[],"news-sector":[],"class_list":["post-114855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-collision-repair-refinishing","category-uncategorized","category-vehicle-customization"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOrange Peel on Car Paint: Causes & How to Avoid | JTAPE US<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019re taking a look at what orange peel on car paint is, what causes it, and how it can be avoided to create a perfect finish.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jtape.com\/en-us\/news\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Orange Peel on Car Paint: Causes & How to Avoid | JTAPE US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We\u2019re taking a look at what orange peel on car paint is, what causes it, and how it can be avoided to create a perfect finish.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jtape.com\/en-us\/news\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"JTAPE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-20T16:17:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-18T11:00:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jtape.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/iStock-1203343517-e1763393042939.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2120\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1060\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris Jevons\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chris Jevons\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/news\\\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/news\\\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\\\/\",\"name\":\"Orange Peel on Car Paint: Causes & How to Avoid | JTAPE US\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/news\\\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/news\\\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/01\\\/iStock-1203343517-e1763393042939.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-20T16:17:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-18T11:00:09+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c9279c5a553d830e6d264b63ae59252a\"},\"description\":\"We\u2019re taking a look at what orange peel on car paint is, what causes it, and how it can be avoided to create a perfect finish.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/news\\\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/news\\\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/news\\\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/01\\\/iStock-1203343517-e1763393042939.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/01\\\/iStock-1203343517-e1763393042939.jpg\",\"width\":2120,\"height\":1060,\"caption\":\"Close-up of a person using a power buffer to polish the red surface of a car, creating a glossy finish\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/news\\\/orange-peel-car-paint-causes\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jtape.com\\\/en-us\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Causes Orange Peel on Car Paint? 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