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Black Chromed Plastic

2007

I want to have an automobile plastic emblem that is currently chromed, to be Black Chromed.

Does it need to have the bright chromed stripped, and than black chrome applied? How does "colored" chrome on plastics work? Is it an actual hard chrome finish? There seems to be kits of paint that give a colored chrome look, is it the same?

What also has me puzzled is I am thinking about have the front grille black chromed as well, but it is just unfinished plastic, a shop told me that if I have both (grille, & emblem) blacked chromed they will not look the same....

Thanks, this site is great for finishing info!

Andrew Veneziano
Mechanical Engineer, (auto hobbyist) - Irvine, California

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Hi, Andrew. I don't know what side of The Great Pringles Debate you come down on, but some people call those extruded blobs of fat & paste "potato chips". I guess you know which side I come down on :-)

We in the finishing industry have a similar issue in talking about "chrome" and "black chrome": we can't prevent people from using the words in ways that we don't agree with. "Chrome" should mean the element "chromium", and to some people it does, but to others it doesn't, it means "shiny metallic looking".

There is such a thing as true black chrome plating, which is chrome electroplating with a contaminant deliberately introduced that blackens it. There are no other colors. But "chrome-look paint" is available in black and in many other colors.

The existing chromium must be stripped either way, then you can have real black chrome plating applied or you can have shiny black metallic paint applied. You have been correctly advised that they won't match. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2007