paint confusion.

[foxbat426]

can someone explain what the difference is between Acrylic, acrylic enamel and acrylic lacquer? Are they all water based, can they all be thinned and cleaned with water? I always thought enamel meant "oil based" and lacquer meant "lacquer based?

[Scale-Master]

The "Acrylic" in the Enamel and Lacquer paints refers to the materials used in those solvent based paints. Those cannot be thinner or cleaned up with water.

Acrylic hobby paints can be cleaned up with water.

[foxbat426]

ok i think i understand. So basically an "acrylic enamel" or "acrylic lacquer" paint is still basically an enamel and a lacquer paint. So only when a paint is a pure acrylic and the enamel or lacquer designation is not attached to it, can it be safe to assume its water or alcohol clean-up.

[Chillyb1]

ok i think i understand. So basically an "acrylic enamel" or "acrylic lacquer" paint is still basically an enamel and a lacquer paint. So only when a paint is a pure acrylic and the enamel or lacquer designation is not attached to it, can it be safe to assume its water or alcohol clean-up.

Yes to the first part and no to the second part. Hobby paints adhere (no pun intended) to a pretty universal set of terms for designating paints that differentiates among acrylic, enamel, and lacquer. A lot of non-hobby paints call themselves acrylic but are either enamels or lacquers, as you've discovered. Often you'll find paints called acrylics that make no mention on the label of either enamel or lacquer; however, they often are billed as quick-dry, which usually means they are solvent-based.