DIY Auto Paining: What Causes Orange Peel and How do I Prevent it?

When painting a car at home, one may notice a strange effect causing their finish to look somewhat “blurry”.  The texture will also appear bumpy like the outside of an orange.  This unsightly condition is what industry professionals commonly call “orange peel”. 

What causes orange peel? Unfortunately, this unsightly condition can be caused by a number of factors.  This can make fixing the problem slightly more difficult and time consuming than others, but rest assured it is necessary to ensure that your DIY paint project produces a pristine finish.


The first cause can be improper painting technique.  Remember to consult your local auto body shop on the correct way to do your project, especially with regard to technique.  There are also a number of DIY articles and FAQ’s on the internet that you can refer to. One of the best is learnautobodyandpaint.com.





There you can decide which technique is best for your project. Another important element in deciding what causes orange peel when you paint would be your spray can setup. Make sure your gun has the right air pressure going through it.

This should be on the manual that came with your gun.  In addition, check the nozzle to ensure you have the right attachment fitted to the tip.  These two causes are quite easy to fix and are small details that the novice may overlook.

There are larger causes to orange peel that may be harder to detect for the DIY auto painter. For example, spraying at an incorrect angle can also cause this condition.  Make sure to always paint at the right angle for your project.  The other can be application of too much paint for the area being painted.

Although DIY auto painters are always reminded to make sure you have enough paint, using too much is not good.  Not only is this a waste of money, but it will also cause orange peel. Conservation of paint will also help later for touchups and other projects.  Any way you look at it, using the right amount of paint will pay off.

Now that you understand what causes orange peel, you should be able to make sure your project does not become a victim of this ugly little problem. Nothing is worse than looking at your brand new paint job only to notice it looks like a shiny, bumpy little fruit.