Paint Protection Film, otherwise known as PPF, was patented by 3M Company in the 1960s and is available in multiple formats. It is available in clear gloss for the individual wanting the film to match the vehicle’s existing paint and provide near invisible protection. It is available in matte or satin finish for the individual wanting to protect the vehicle’s matte or satin factory paint. (The installation of clear gloss film on matte or satin paint will change the vehicle’s appearance.) And last but not least, PPF is available in various colors, textures, dichroics, and other appearance changing finishes. These finishes are for the individual who wants to alter the appearance of their vehicle. Color changing PPF represents the best of both worlds – color change/vehicle customization and paint protection.

Color PPF is available in solid colors such as black, white, red, green, blue, pink, orange, yellow, and purple. It is also available in color shifts, changing from green to gold, blue to purple, or pink to gold. Additionally, some manufacturers make texture PPF that simulates carbon fiber as well as various colors of chrome (silver, gold, bronze, blue, etc).

Color PPF may or may not necessarily be based on the same paint protection film technology as a manufacturer’s clear film. There are some films that are marketed as color PPF but aren’t based on the same paint protection technologies as the manufacturer’s clear film – they’re thinner and more decorative in nature. And while a thinner decorative color film may provide some level of paint protection, it is not to the same extent as a true PPF.

Other manufacturers offer color PPF that is based on the same technology as their clear film. That is made possible by the lamination of a color layer to the urethane base and then topped off with a clear coat for product longevity. The urethane used in these color films is usually the same thickness as the urethane used in the clear film, allowing both films to have an overall thickness of 8 mils (.008”).