RustSeal Colors: Which Color of RustSeal Should I Use?

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RustSeal comes in 11 colors: Gloss Black, Satin Black, Grey, Off-White, Silver, Galvanized, Safety Blue, Cat Yellow, Oxide Red, Safety Green and Safety Yellow. Every color gives the same rust protection, because the resin does the sealing and the pigment only adds color. Choose by look, sheen and whether the part sits in the sun.

RustSeal Color Chart:

Black, Grey and White

GLOSS BLACK (Gloss, 85 to 95%): A rich black with a long-lasting wet shine. A popular choice for every kind of automotive restoration, including frames and chassis.

SATIN BLACK (Satin, 65 to 75%): A rich black with a low-luster, uniform sheen that compares to OEM finishes. Use it when you want the original look of a hard, semi-gloss chassis finish. Satin Black is a satin, not a flat.

GREY (Gloss, 80 to 90%): A medium grey that cures to a smooth, very hard finish. Seals and protects steel, concrete, cinder block, warehouse floors, plywood and more.

OFF-WHITE (Gloss, 80 to 90%): A tough white metal primer. The right RustSeal to use under light colored topcoats.

Industrial Colors

The industrial colors carry high concentrations of solidifying metal flake and/or micronized iron oxide for extreme abrasion, corrosion and impact performance.

SILVER (Gloss, 80 to 90%): A hard silver metallic finish made for workplace protection. Use it to reproduce the look of bare steel. Like all metallic colors, it looks best sprayed.

GALVANIZED (Matte, about 30%): Reproduces the look of an industrial galvanized matte finish. An outstanding maintenance finish that will not crack, peel or blister. Spray it for the most even metallic look.

SAFETY BLUE (Gloss, 80 to 90%): A brilliant safety blue with micronized corrosion barrier pigments, made for industrial equipment maintenance.

CAT YELLOW (Gloss, 80 to 90%): The yellow recognized on any work site as Cat Yellow, with micronized corrosion barrier pigments. Made for heavy vehicle and equipment maintenance.

OXIDE RED (Matte, 65 to 75%): A deep matte iron red with high hide and coverage, used in many kinds of industrial applications to cut the maintenance cost of rust and corrosion.

SAFETY GREEN (Gloss, 80 to 90%): A rich green gloss with high levels of micronized corrosion barrier pigments for high hide and coverage. It will not crack, peel or blister.

SAFETY YELLOW (Gloss, 80 to 90%): A bright safety yellow in a gloss finish, sold in quarts, gallons and 5 gallon pails.

How to Choose a RustSeal Color:

• Frames, chassis and undercarriage: Gloss Black for shine, Satin Black for an OEM look. Out of direct sun, RustSeal works as the final finish on its own.
• Under a light colored topcoat: Off-White.
• Heavy and industrial equipment: Cat Yellow, Safety Blue, Safety Green, Safety Yellow or Oxide Red.
• A bare steel or galvanized look: Silver or Galvanized. Metallic colors look best sprayed; see the Paint Spraying Guidelines.
• Concrete, cinder block and floors: Grey. See sealing concrete with RustSeal.
• Anything in direct sun: pick any color, then topcoat it with an opaque, UV-stable topcoat. For exterior trim, grilles and chrome-delete parts, use BlackTop instead of RustSeal.

Does Color Change Rust Protection?

No. Customers often ask whether colors need porous pigments that let moisture through the coating. A little paint chemistry answers it. Paint is a combination of solvents, resins and pigments. The choice of resin decides whether a coating is porous, and the pigments, fully encapsulated in that resin, only provide color. Pigments do not decide porosity, and resins do not decide color.

Some pigments are porous. Black carbon is the most porous of all. Once that carbon is encapsulated in the correct resin, though, the result is a non-porous coating, and the same holds for less porous pigments. That is why every RustSeal color seals out moisture the same way.

RustSeal Sheen Levels:

Gloss Black cures to 85 to 95 percent sheen, and the other gloss colors to 80 to 90 percent. Satin Black and Oxide Red cure to 65 to 75 percent, and Galvanized to roughly 30 percent. Satin Black is a true satin, not a flat, so it has some sheen by design.

For a flatter finish, reduce RustSeal up to 20 percent with KBS #1 Thinner or Xylene. Mix the can thoroughly, apply thin coats, and wait for the full 24 hour cure before you judge the sheen. If Satin Black comes out glossier than expected, read Why Is RustSeal Satin Black Too Glossy?

RustSeal Colors in Direct Sunlight:

RustSeal is not UV stable. Its rust protection does not break down in sunlight, but every color will chalk and fade over time. On any part that sits in direct sun, topcoat RustSeal with an opaque, UV-stable topcoat: BlackTop for frames and chassis, KBS Top Coater, or KBS MAXX.

A clear coat does not solve this. DiamondFinish Clear and KBS MAXX Clear let UV pass through to the RustSeal underneath, which still fades. For bonding methods and timing, see Can I Top Coat RustSeal?

Sizes, Blending and Custom Colors:

Every RustSeal color comes in quart, gallon and 5 gallon pail sizes, and every color except Safety Yellow also comes in 8 oz and pint cans. Look up any color and size in the KBS Part Number Lookup.

RustSeal is not custom color matched. You can blend stock RustSeal colors with each other, with no minimum. Mix enough for the whole job in one batch so every coat matches.

Frequently Asked Questions About RustSeal Colors

RustSeal in Action

Watch more RustSeal videos on the KBS Instructional Videos page.