Your guide to ProXL UltraEtch Primer

Etch primers. You may have heard of them. You might even use them. But what is it about etch primers – especially all-purpose primers like ProXL UltraEtch – that makes them a workshop must-have?

It’s easy to get confused when it comes to all-purpose primers, including etch primers. Even if you work in a paint shop, knowing exactly why certain products have benefits over others isn’t a given, and etch primers are certainly one such example. Let’s get to the bottom of it!

Etch primers 

Primer is primer is primer, right? Well, not with ProXL UltraEtch, or etch primers in general.

Of course, they do the job that a primer is there to do – provide you with a base coat for a better final spray. But ProXL UltraEtch does much more than this. Designed for metals, it’s made of a mixture of acid, zinc particles, and pigment.

It’s unique in that when you apply ProXL UltraEtch to a prepared surface, its chemical makeup containing acid literally ‘etches’ the metal, creating a rough surface of tiny ridges creating a key. Zinc content also helps to form a grippy surface for your next coating to cling onto when it is applied. In effect, Ultra Etch replicates the cataphoretic dip priming process used in vehicle manufacture.

When you apply your next coat – which might be another primer or even a topcoat if it’s compatible – this grippiness means enhanced adhesion for a better, more reliable and consistent finish.

Other benefits of etch primers

ProXL UltraEtch has a variety of further benefits, and many of these are around ease of use. For example, ProXL UltraEtch can be used wet-on-wet, and can be bought in either a 500ml aerosol or a one-litre tin. In either case, it’s ready to use and requires no mixing or further preparation.

Once it has been applied, it dries fast, meaning that, like many other ProXL products, it helps speed up turnaround times on jobs. And whilst surface prep should still be as rigorous as it is with other primers, etch primers are far more forgiving, so preparation can be more efficient.

Furthermore, it’s usable on all manner of metals such as steel – including galvanised, stainless, and zinc-coated – and aluminium, including anodised aluminium.

ProXL UltraEtch also has anti-corrosion properties, helping to minimise the formation of corrosion on treated surfaces, especially in mild environments.