Are you looking for ways on how to paint stainless steel, but are finding that the products you are using don’t adhere to the surface? Read on, as Rawlins Paints take a look at the best stainless steel paints and primers for general users – for application by professionals, see Kolorbond at Rawlins.
For more information, please visit KLS.
Stainless steel is a form of steel that contains chromium. It is commonly used for commercial and industrial purposes due to its corrosion resistance toward tarnishing or rusting. The chromium forms a thin layer of oxide on the steel’s surface, known as a passive layer. This chromium ‘passive layer’ protects the steel from common forms of corrosion. Other elements often found in stainless steel, include carbon, silicon, and manganese. Nickel and molybdenum is sometimes added to further improve rust resistance, or surface deterioration in more corrosive environments.
Stainless steel is only stain-resistant in normal atmospheric environments. In more aggressive conditions, it may corrode – this is where the paint systems discussed later in this piece can further improve the anti-corrosive qualities of the metal.
Along with the benefits of non-extenuating circumstances’ corrosion resistance, stainless steel has an aesthetically sound finish that is popular in the home, in workplaces, and in industrial settings. Common stainless-steel finishes include polished, brushed, blasted, etched or a coloured finish. Rough surface finishes, however, offer lower corrosion resistance.
There are five types of stainless steel (Ferritic, Austenitic, Martensitic, Duplex and Precipitation Hardening (PH)) each with their own grades; most of our commercial stainless steel enquiries reference a 3-digit code such as 304 or 316. The British Stainless Steel Association is a good resource for data sheets and arranges steel grades according to the main EN standards for flat and long products.
Consumer and general-use cases include:
Commercial and retail sectors use stainless steel every day in shops and offices, libraries and care homes, schools, and universities:
Construction and industry stainless steel use includes:
Stainless steel is typically renowned for its own unique and ‘natural’ finish, but may, on occasion, need recoating to gain improved heat resistance, chemical resistance, or simply to meet a new colour scheme. Typically, it is stainless steel components or structures that require a new paint finish to match company colour schemes and branded logos, or to improve environmental blending and compatibility.
Painting stainless steel can be tricky and should be approached with caution. Standard paints and coatings, including most industrial metal paints, do not adhere to stainless steel.
Shot blasting is considered the preferred method of preparing stainless steel for the proper adhesion of paints and coatings. However, this isn’t always possible to do so, certainly on small-scale projects. Where only manual/mechanical preparation can be carried out, there are specialist primers available. These can adhere well to stainless steel without the need for shot blasting, to which topcoats can be applied to achieve the desired colour and finish.
Usually, the manufacturer of the primer will have recommended topcoats. These have assured compatibility when applied over the chosen primer that they would wish to be used, and this should be taken into consideration. At Rawlins Paints we also offer some direct to metal coatings for stainless steel. These provide the ability to prime and finish the surface using only one product after suitable preparation.
The product recommendations given are from the UKs leading industrial paint brands, are all 100% dependent on the environmental conditions and atmospheric exposure levels – hence the need to use a primer in most scenarios.
Some stainless-steel paint systems can be applied that will leave a metallic finish – typically aluminium – and it is generally recommended to properly prepare the surface and apply a primer before adding a topcoat.
Below, Rawlins Paints will look at product recommendations for cleaning, priming, and adding a topcoat to stainless steel, as well as one product from Rust-Oleum which delivers a stainless-steel finish effect.
If you require any further assistance with the products discussed, please leave a comment at the end, or contact Rawlins Paints directly by /.
Start by cleaning the stainless steel to remove grease, oil, and contaminants:
For proper paint adhesion, lightly abrade the surface:
Select a primer specifically designed for stainless steel, such as:
These primers ensure excellent adhesion and compatibility with topcoats. Apply the primer evenly across the surface and allow it to dry completely.
Once the primer has dried, apply a suitable topcoat. Options include:
Use a spray gun for even coverage or a high-quality brush for smaller projects.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for curing times. Some coatings may require up to 24 hours to harden completely. Avoid touching or exposing the surface to stress during this period.
On occasion, stainless steel may simply require cleaning, rather than recoating with a more protective topcoat. Stainless steel will need to be suitably cleaned and prepared prior to painting.
Rust-Oleum Pre-Paint Cleaner is an excellent product for cleaning and degreasing stainless steel. It effortlessly removes all organic and inorganic pollution and saves time by not needing a further rinse after wiping the surface.
Non-foaming, Rust-Oleum Pre-Paint Cleaner has a biodegradable formulation and makes stainless steel surfaces anti-static to prevent dust and dirt adhesion. Supplied in a concentrated solution, its dilution can be changed depending on the degree of contamination, making it suitable for use in kitchens and around machines, on garden furniture, windows, and other stainless steel surfaces.
We stock more consumer and professional-use stainless steel cleaners, gels, and solutions, at our online store.
Where stainless steel meets another substrate, such as cladding, pipes, and vents, ordinary seals and adhesives won’t be able to adhere to the surface. This could lead to leaks, vibration issues, and more problems the longer it goes untreated.
Bullet Mega Mastic is a professional-use product that can bond, seal and fill almost anything without a primer, even when wet or fully submerged. This unique hybrid polymer formulation contains no solvents and has virtually no odour.
Bullet Mega Mastic is a paintable sealant that has been specifically formulated to seal typical joints where a strong bond and high movement is required. It has excellent adhesion and permanent elastic sealing to a wide range of substrates, including stainless steel.
Features include high resistance to elements (water, salt water, grease oils, fuels, defrosting liquids, detergents, aliphatic fats, mildew, weak acids, alkali), ageing, and weathering.
See more professional and general sealants and adhesives for stainless steel at our online store.
Another Rust-Oleum product, Hard Hat Stainless Steel Coating, is a quick and effortless way to get ‘that’ metallic finish. As with all Rust-Oleum products, the aesthetical properties are combined with a protective element, in that the stainless-steel finish will be chemically and mechanically resistant to scratches and dulling. It is recommended that a Hard Hat primer is used to prepare the surface, prior to applying Hard Hat Stainless Steel Coating – to get optimal coverage and adhesion. This product is ideal for light industrial exposure, touch-up and maintenance work, recoating machinery, pumps, toolboxes, and related garage/warehouse apparatus. All surfaces must be properly cleaned, and any rust removed prior to use.
“How to prep stainless steel for paint?”
Metal primers available at Rawlins Paints for stainless steel range in price and project scale. Not all primers will work on stainless steel or smooth, dense surfaces similarly difficult for coatings to adhere to. Below are recommended metal primers for stainless steel – these primers require a compatible intermediate coat and/or topcoat to be applied to complete the system.
Rust-Oleum Super Adhesion Primer is ideal for general users looking to paint stainless steel, making a perfect chemical bond without the need for blasting or etching the surface beforehand. It can be recoated with virtually any other Rust-Oleum 2K paint, making it very compatible with a whole range of topcoats.
Rust-Oleum Super Adhesion Primer comes in a convenient 1 litre packaging that is great for smaller projects. The new 2-component packaging provides the base and activator in one convenient kit, the activator supplied with a user-friendly spout cap. It is also available in a 5L size.
Before applying Rust-Oleum Super Adhesion Primer to stainless steel, remove grease, oil and all other surface contaminations with Rust-Oleum Mathys ND14 Cleaner Degreaser or by alkaline or high pressure (steam) cleaning. The individual components should then be stirred thoroughly before mixing.
See our website for more consumer-use stainless steel primers.
For professional users, Tikkurila Temacoat GPL-S Primer is used as a primer or an intermediate coat in paint systems exposed to abrasion and chemical stress. The paint adheres extremely well to steel, zinc and aluminium surfaces making it a universal, all-round primer for various applications.
The two-component, polyamide-cured high build epoxy primer contains zinc phosphate and is recommended for use on bridges, haulage equipment, cranes, steel masts, conveyors and other steelwork, machinery and equipment. It has an MED (Marine Equipment Directive) certification for painting surfaces inside of ships and, with additional hardener, can cure in sub-zero temperatures, down to -10°C.
At Rawlins Paints we tint Temacoat GPL-S Primer to 1,000’s of colours to help achieve the best possible hiding power for the topcoat, and it can be overcoated after a prolonged period. The primer has a wide range of compatible topcoats available from Tikkurila.
For stainless steel preparation, roughen the surface by grinding or sweep blasting using non-metallic abrasives. Oil, grease, salts and dirt should be removed by appropriate means.
See more professional-use stainless steel primers available to order on our website.
Stainless steel is an oxymoron in that it can stain, corrode, and rust in extreme atmospheric or contaminated environments. Different to the cleaning of rust from small utensils, large surface areas of stainless steel which have begun to corrode or rust need a differently scaled solution.
Stainless steel cleaners, covered earlier in this article, can help slight discolouration and contamination that is causing the substrate to rust or corrode. Rawlins Paints also stock cleaning gels and concentrates for removing light to medium rust deposits on stainless steel. They offer a quick, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to sandblasting, acid washing or high-pressure water blasting.
Ultimately, however, maintenance of the conditions around the stainless-steel apparatus, equipment or structure may be key to removing the risk and spread of rust across the surface.
Surface preparation is key when using finishing coatings for stainless steel
Any damage or corrosive chemicals that have met the stainless steel should be dealt with – cleaned or repaired – and ongoing exposure removed. Steel will rust and when the chromium surface layer on stainless steel is breached or damaged, the underlying steel will be exposed to rust. Via cleaning and ‘care’, the top chromium oxide layer is self-healing.
Where possible, avoid cleaning stainless steel with {caustic) cleaners that contain:
Do not use steel wool or steel brushes when cleaning the surface. For general and quick cleaning of stainless steel, to lift non-oxidised soils, durst, dirt and fingerprints, a mild soap and warm water solution will suffice until a more competent and recommended cleaner can be used.
Any direct-to-stainless steel paint will specify that the surface must be prepared prior to application. For successful coverage and to obtain the full lifespan of a direct-to-metal product on stainless steel, it is highly recommended that a primer is used – as previously discussed.
However, for prepared stainless steel, the following paints are suitable for stainless steel – please refer to a product datasheet always prior to application to ensure that the full steps and measures required in surface preparation are completed.
Bradite One Can Eggshell is the go-to for primer and topcoat in one can and is perfect for both interior and exterior use by consumers on a wide range of substrates, including on properly cleaned and prepared stainless steel, such as:
It has excellent adhesion, stain blocking and anti-corrosive properties, manufactured under the auspices of an ISO : & ISO :, and is available at Rawlins Paints in more than + colours in RAL, NCS, & British Standard shades. For a flatter finish, Bradite One Can Matt is also available.
Before application, stainless steel surfaces must be cleaned and degreased with methylated spirit, and lightly abraded if possible. White salts on weathered galvanising must be removed during cleaning and degreasing. Light surface rusting can be treated with Bradite Rust Convertor RC46. Heavy rusting to be removed to clean metallic finish (SIS-St 3).
See our store for more consumer-friendly direct-to-metal stainless steel paints.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of how to color stainless steel. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
The Kolorbond K2 Set is for professional users only that can be spray applied directly onto a variety of substrates, including stainless steel. It has a 10-year adhesion guarantee and a 5-year guarantee on colour fastness, valid with purchase and use of Technispray hardeners and cleaning products.
Kolorbond K2 is highly resistant to abrasion and other accidental damage, based on two pack polyurethane/acrylic technology. Once dry it is very durable and easy to apply using any standard spray equipment, either on-site or in a manufacturing environment.
This durable and lightfast coating has been tested and demonstrated on a wide range of “un-paintable” substrates including stainless steel. In most applications, Kolorbond K2 does not require a primer and is able to be applied in a high film thickness. This can help save substantially on time spent applying the coating, returning areas back to service faster to minimise downtime.
The Kolorbond K2 Set has many options for the professional applicators, with pack sizes ranging from 1.25l up to 30l and smooth and textured finishes from a 10% matt sheen through to 70%+ gloss. Its huge colour range of 2,400+ colours from RAL, British Standard, and NCS ensures that existing coloured stainless steel can be closely matched, or unpainted surfaces brought into line.
Surface preparation and application instructions for Kolorbond K2:
This paint is for professional use only
Performance and guarantees not valid without purchase and use of the hardener and relevant cleaning products
For more professional direct-to-stainless steel coatings, visit our online store.
Stainless steel can also be used in areas subject to heat, for this purpose a more resistant coating is required to withstand such high temperatures. These could be garden BBQ’s or pub grills, heaters, and exhausts, or industrial and manufacturing equipment. Below are recommended products available to buy at Rawlins Paints – we must stress that the advice and product recommendations for heat resistant paints are not for home or kitchen appliances such as kettle or toasters, ovens, fridges, etc. They are also not for use on areas subject to direct food contact or contact with flames.
Rust-Oleum Heat Resistant Paint 750°C is ideal for general use by consumers and smaller-scale projects, being self-priming and for continuous temperatures up to 650°C. Available at Rawlins paints in black or aluminium, with a satin or matt finish.
IMPORTANT: Should not be applied on primers or coatings that are not heat resistant.
Recommended uses for the / Aerosols: should be used on new, bare steel, blasted steel or light rusted steel surfaces or properly prepared painted substrates alike barbecue grills, fireplace equipment, space heaters etc. Intended for small maintenance jobs or for touch-up, providing heat resistance up to 750°C (= °F) dry heat (short term peak resistance) in sheltered or interior environments.
Recommended use for the / Cans: can be applied on new, bright, or shot-blasted steel or well pre-treated coated surfaces such as barbecues, boiler fittings, hot air cannons, exhausts, etc. Intended for small maintenance jobs and repairs, providing protection up to a dry heat of 750°C (short term peak load) for applications indoors or in a sheltered outdoor environment.
For professional users, Jotun Solvalitt (available in white or black – see Jotun Solvalitt Alu for the aluminium finish) – provides heat resistance on properly prepared carbon steel, galvanised steel and stainless steel for temperatures up to 400°C. Jotun Solvalitt Midtherm Alu provides heat resistance up to 260°C. Sherwin-Williams Heat-Flex Hi-Temp is a next generation single-component inert multipolymeric matrix coating that combats corrosion under insulation (CUI) and in high heat applications.
Once a suitable metal primer has been applied to stainless steel, a metal topcoat/finishing coat can be applied. Most primers that have been recommended come as part of a manufacturer system, with the topcoat being fully compatible with the primer. These can be found in the Product Data Sheets that are available on all of our product pages under the “Data Sheets” tab.
Please contact Rawlins Paints if you require a colour or finish that is not available in any of the paint systems discussed above – which do contain topcoats tintable to the full RAL, NCS, and British Standard colour range. The primer, in collaboration with a suitable topcoat, are designed to deliver protective systems which can fail if an unsuitable topcoat is used. For example, using a standard topcoat on a heat resistant primer will not make the finished installation heat resistant.
There are full systems available with alternate topcoats to meet application needs in low temperatures, for example, or to give metallic finishes as opposed to those obtained from our standard RAL, NCS, and British Standard colour ranges.
If you are unsure or would like to share the project/environment/atmospheric conditions in the comment section below, we will happily recommend primer and topcoat combinations, or one-product installations that meet your requirements.
Hi, I have been learning the fine art of engraving stainless Steel for the last 3 days. i have filled about 0.5 square meter plate with tests (more than is shown here). My current question why is the laser burning hotter the first quarter second?
My system: atomstack a10 v2 running Grbl, computer: HP laptop
In depth:
I am trying to make a large sign. For the layout in lightburner I have split the svg file into 4 layers(3 colors and 1 outline). a small test of this sign can be seen in the picture:1. I have not yet tested importing it like a picture since I feel like it will be harder to get the specific colors I want.
inconsistent coloring / oxidizing / temperature of the steal is what i am trying to solve to do this
the precautions i have taken and discovered up to know are:
Conclusion all of these helped but still when scan filling the the point at which the laser turns on is heated more. I have tried:
It is apparent its not to do with the acceleration in picture:2 witch was done with spiral filling on constant power and the discolored area is just right in the corner, compared to the 1 direction filling attempts picture:3 where the discolored area lasts for about 20 mm right at the start. When filling bothe left to right and right to left the fade is weaker but from both directions and still apparent.
in the picture:1 The frame should all be purple but since the “vertical” frames are just a couple of mm wide they only get exposed to the “increase power on startup” while the bottom frame is exposed to the whole spectrum and is faded.
I have also tried using checkered filling (right,left,up,down) on a big square which again results in a faded centrum. When lowering the power 50% and the speed 50% to keep the same color the discolored distance is also cut in half. So my only conclusion is that for some reason the power of the laser is higher the first quarter second and then settles. I don’t understand why and can’t find anything about it.
Any help is most welcome!!! =)
Lost me here… what first quarter of a second?
To get these colors in stainless, you need to reach these temperatures.
I usually, from the most basic view, vary the interval and do each object separately.
This helps maintain the temperature needed. If you keep the same speed/power/interval/size across something, it should heat it the same… However if it takes longer to be done, it has more time to cool back down.
If you do an square 2mm square, it might produce one color… the same settings on a 20mm square would likely produce a change in color as it has more time to cool down between passes.
Thickness also affects this… the heat is usually drained more quickly with some types of metals, such as copper.
Pulling my hair out with about 10 pieces of stainless when the next piece didn’t come out, a noticeable shade different … Found it was only .02mm thicker than the other sheets… from a different manufacturer… I bought them as 3mm sheets.
You must have a great galvo to be able to run 10m/s, mine maxes out at 4m/s.
Nice idea to use the big block of steel to absorb the heat… I was never able to make any kind of sink, even with heat sink compound… also messy, but good luck.
When I get stuck, I try to use pulses/mm to come up with something similar… However and of the speed/power/interval/frequency or pulse width settings all change what happens to the metal…
Good luck – keep us updated.
Thx for the reply!! =) I understand it’s not obvious what I’m trying to say. I will try to clarify. To begin with, I agree with all your statements! could your discolored pieces have different surface finishes? Because I also encountered that!
with my big question (why is the first quarter second burning hotter?) I am not sure it is a quarter second, that is just an estimation. For some reason when the laser is moving at a consistent speed (low or high) and then turning on the laser the first part is always a color showing a hotter temperature was reached. quickly after about 2 cm or so the color (heat) stabilizes and mountains until the next pass. effect is visible in both directions while scanning or in just one direction while scanning with one direction passes. ? I don’t really know how to explain it.
My understanding is that the red to yellow spectrum is the color of the material at that temperature (not an oxidation thickness reachable). Meaning we can’t get that finish. (i thought the tempering spectrum was the only attainable)
I had to research what Galvo was so I might have misunderstood it but here is my best attempt at an answer. It is a standard cnc axial gantry. and during filling it does what lightburn calls “scanning” accelerates to speed before turning the laser on.
slowly moving the Y-axis in increments while so called “Scanning” or (rapidly moving) the X-axis. I only changed the acceleration to 10,000 on the X axis (the axis it uses while scanning) because it is much lighter than the Y-axis. i think the top speed might be out of the box but you can change it in the console. grbl/doc/markdown/settings.md at master · gnea/grbl · GitHub
have not seen any setting for pulses where can i find those? =)
Thanks for the insight =). Oh I understand that there might be better machines but I don’t see why a diode wouldn’t be consistent… Even though I am encountering high powered startups! it seems so simple to have a diode supplied with the same (consistent power)?
or at least use … Sum sort of progressive starts slowly increasing the power to 100%.
Using constant power shouldn’t result in a stronger beginning as long as it is up to speed before turning the laser on. With it most certainly is considering the discolored corns in example 3 (the spiral filled with constant power), are much smaller even though it is going from full speed to stop to full speed on consistent power. With non constant power it is supposed to compensate for acceleration but since i make sure it is up to speed it doesn’t help. I tried using non constant power and the results are the same.
The machine might not be moving as fast as advertised but up to mm/s it still produces different colors so I’m sure it is capable of at least that and the acceleration (10,000) I would think is working as long as the steppers aren’t missing steps. Altho it might be putting some defects in quality, I was just trying to make sure it was up to speed.
I was talking about acceleration in my first post but now I noticed I wrote (mm/s) sorry! i ment mm/s².
I don’t know how to make a climate controlled environment but it is enclosed in a wall with isolation and a plexiglas panel as a door. i don’t see why that would impact the laser on startup tho?
Oh, yeah, I was not clear about that. I didn’t mean consistent in terms of within a project, but in my experience, the values you now will gather during testing won’t work for some other projects you do in 6 months Despite material changes, this might also be due to aging of the diode which is hard to measure.
Also true, but only if you really reach the desired top speed physically. Try to set your overscan to about 5cm or so, and check if that helps. Such lasers are usually far less capable of advertised values and nobody ever measured what the real values are.
This is a misconception, the result changes also when using fantasy speed settings because the internal algorithm will calculate different power ramping for such. Same (physical) speed, different power ramp. So a different outcome does not mean that it physically changed anything. 10,000mm/s² is fully impossible to all that I know (though, as I said, I don’t know of anybody that used a lab setup to (dis)prove that).
No, this was not referring to the start effect, this was also referring to the overall consistency of the process. So if you started in the morning with your tests and the laser slowly heated the chamber, and you have a difference of 4 or 5 °C in the chamber, you can’t compare the results to the earlier ones.
Here is an example:
Ahh yes! I have been confronting all sorts of changes so I can imagine the ambient temp makes a big deal. Really interesting picture you sent. How come the colors look colder in a higher ambient temp? I was also wondering if the lifespan of the diodes was something to consider so thanks! Now my diodes are having a midlife crisis
i have the overscan at 50% ( the highest possible) but maybe you know a way to hack that? I don’t see how it would even be able to calculate anny motion if it’s some sort of fantasy speed setting, but the ramping is what concerns me. Is there actually still some sort of ramping when using constant power? it’s not like there is a computer in the engraver telling it to use lightburns settings like a suggestion? right… The g code is generated in lightburn and just performed by the engraver so i don’t understand the fantasy settings you’re talking about.
The acceleration surprised me also, but again if the steppers don’t skip and the machine reads the g code i can see how it’s not possible not saying it’s good but I’m not afraid to push it until it breaks so I will test how much higher it can go. It is both visible and audible that it’s going a lot faster than normal!
I tried to research optical pumping but I will have to go back to school for that one! hahaha.
I totally understand that no one wants to read everything here. So I’m totally fine answering this as many times as it’s needed. Yes that would or could be a problem but its not in this case. my acceleration is set to and seemingly much faster than normal aldo its still working perfectly.
The majority of tests at Number 3 in the picture below are done with these settings. problem being color fading from hot to cold first 2 centimeters then stabilizes.
Test 2 in the picture above is done with these settings:
The outcome should just be a single colored square, but since it decelerates and accelerates in every corner while spiraling out we can see that the discolored area is still much smaller even when it is fully stopping and going again while at constant power.
For more information, please visit is colored stainless steel safe.