How do I paint plastic car parts piano black?

Referring to interior plastic trim pieces on my car. I've painted black before, but that was a textured surface, I want to get that smooth gloss black finish on smooth grey parts...how do manufacturers do it? Do they put a clear film over black paint?|||The other answers have been good, except they are wrong on one point. You never sand raw plastic parts.





There are two ways to achieve adhesion when painting, mechanically or chemically. Mechanical adhesion involves sanding, this is only done on primer and paint. Chemical adhesion is for plastic parts and requires spraying of an adhesion promoter or using a paint designed specifically for plastics. If you sand raw plastic and then apply paint, the paint will cause the sanding marks to swell and you will always see them.





Clean the parts with rubbing alcohol or a cleaner designed for plastics and then use a paint designed for plastics, like Krylon Fusion. If you are going to use a spray gun to apply the paint, you will need to spray a plastic adhesion promoter on the parts first.





Manufacturers don't paint plastic parts, they are molded using colored plastic and they always have a matte finish to reduce sun glare.|||Your previous two answers are good but maybe not explaining why real well. The responder Red is correct about sanding with a high grit sand paper. The reason you need to do this is your paint job will de-laminate (peel off) if you don't. The small scratch marks give the new paint something to cling to mechanically. Red also instructs to clean the part with soap and water which is correct. After it dries from the water, clean it again with rubbing alcohol. That will remove silicon that will cause your new paint job to fail. Soap and water will not take silicon off and it is in most cleaners that leave a shine.





In the second response they suggest a matt black but if you want that high shine you need to get gloss black.





Make sure to get paint that is specifically designed for plastics or you will make a mess that you will not want to clean up after it starts to de-laminate. This paint is chemically designed to adhere to plastic.|||Use Krylon fusion, it bonds to plastic REALLY well. Sand the parts a bit with some high grit sand paper (say 800); it should feel smooth to the touch. Then wash it very well with soap and water and make sure it's TOTALLY dry.



Then just shoot gloss black paint on it.





"how do manufacturers do it?"



Manufacturers don't paint their parts, the plastic itself is that color. It's a high gloss finish because the injection molded die they use to make the part is polished to a mirror shine.|||Rustoleum makes paint for plastic now, a matt black is probably what you're looking for.