High gloss or matt? Pearl effect or deep brilliance? The colours that Elke Dirks and her team develop will appear on large numbers of new models launched by many car manufacturers. The OEM Colour Development Team of Axalta is constantly searching for new trends.
“For a few years now we have noticed increasing shift in colours and effects.”
Elke Dirks, Colour Designer Axalta Automotive OEM Coatings
Which colours are trending?
Brilliance with great depth is continuing to gain ground.
Many car manufacturers have had positive results with deeply brilliant colours, which is why this trend is continuing. We are set to see more intense colours in future, and not only for red. The new colour trends generally take a few years to reach the market.
A decrease in white.
“The expensive and difficult to repair multi-coated pearlescent white effect colours are seeing increased competition from new shades of white with a ceramic appearance.”
The trend in matt and chrome effects.
High gloss surfaces continue to be much more in demand. Their deep brilliance produces new effects. OEM paints have to be especially stable when used in series production. That is why chrome mirror effects or matt paints tend to be preferred for smaller series or special coating jobs.
A new trend: Glass flakes.
Comparable to very fine glass flakes, these pigments are added to the basecoat. They refract the light and, in so doing, create a glittering sparkle effect. The glass flakes are already in use for some OEM colours. Refinishers require a special mixing tint to repair them.
