Difference between pearlescent and iridescent paint?

Answer 1

Hi there I was looking for the answer to the same question and came across this. Pearlescent has teeny weeny glass beads added to the paint, this caused weird light refraction hence you get a multicoloured paint effect (depending on which angle you view it from). Metallic has teeny weeny bits of reflective "stuff" added to the paint, hence light bounces off the relective surface.

They also stated that pearlescent it is best used in lighter colours.

Answer 2

iridescent paint has a lusterous color similar to "Pearlized" Colors, but with an added hue shift apparent on contours and angles of light. Iridescent Colors have a shift from a lighter hue on direct views to a darker hue on side-cast views. Work best over Opaque White or Opaque Black.

Answer 3

Pearlescent / Metallic - has shiny particles in the paint that make it lustrous like a pearl (also called nacreous) or shiny like a precious metal, as well as more finely ground pigments that give it color. Light reflects from all these tiny particles that have a smooth reflective surface, which not only makes the paint luster, but gives it dimension depending on the angle of viewing. Generally, these beautiful paints are called metallic when they imitate metals like gold, silver, etc., and they are often called Pearlescent or Pearl, when they are other colors like white, blue, red, etc. Sometimes the pearlescent paints have courser shiny particles and the metallics have finer shiny particles to make them resemble metal further.

Iridescent/ Halo / Hi-lite / Interference - Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces which appear to change color as the angle of view changes, sometimes between two colors, and sometimes a whole rainbow. Iridescence may be seen commonly in soap bubbles and butterflywings. In paints it is caused by similar shiny smooth particles as pearlescent effects, only the particles have more than one reflective surface, and so the color of the paint changes depending on the angle of viewing. This is very popular in custom car paint jobs.