Ceramic coating or PPF? What to offer clients — and how to combine them
Clients often ask for “the best protection” and expect one answer. In practice paint protection film (PPF) and ceramic coatings do different jobs, and the strongest offer for a studio is usually a combination of the two.
The difference starts with thickness
A polyurethane film is a physical layer about 190–215 µm thick: KRYTEX MEGA PPF PRO is 215 µm in total, with a 175 µm polyurethane layer, a 32 µm adhesive and an 8 µm top coat. A ceramic coating cures into a layer of tens of nanometres — 40–80 nm for KRYTEX paint coatings, roughly three thousand times thinner. That one number explains most of what each product can and cannot do.
| PPF | Ceramic coating | |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 190–215 µm | 40–80 nm |
| Main job | Physical barrier against stone chips, sand and scratches | Water and dirt repellency, gloss, chemical and UV resistance |
| Look | Gloss or satin (MEGA PPF MATTE) | Deeper color, glossy, slick surface |
| Typical areas | Hood, front bumper, mirrors, sills — or the whole body | The whole body, plus glass and wheels with dedicated products |
| Service life | Depends on the film and use — ask for the film specification | Up to 12 months for MEGA 8; 12–18 months for 9H+ with a top coat |
What PPF does best
Film is the only option that physically absorbs impacts. On the front end of a car that drives on motorways it takes the stone chips that a coating cannot stop, and its top coat heals light scratches. The KRYTEX range covers the usual requests: MEGA PPF CLEAN (190 µm, enhanced darkening effect), MEGA PPF ULTRA (210 µm, enhanced gloss), MEGA PPF PRO (215 µm, professional) and MEGA PPF MATTE (195 µm, satin finish).
What a ceramic coating does best
A coating changes how the surface behaves. KRYTEX MEGA 8 has a 118° contact angle, so water beads and takes dirt with it; it is rated for pH 1–14 and UV 10–400 nm and lasts up to 12 months or up to 65 washes / 25,000 km. It also deepens the color and makes the paint slick. For a whole car it is cheap to apply: 1–2 ml/m², about three cars per 50 ml bottle. It lowers the risk of chips but does not replace film where impacts are frequent.
Why combine them
Film has its own hydrophobic top coat, but it wears with washing and sun. A coating made for films restores and extends it. KRYTEX PPF & VINYL is applied over polyurethane and vinyl films: 119° contact angle, 6–8 months of service, antistatic effect. It enriches the film's color, lowers the risk of chemical burns from bird droppings, poplar buds and alkali, and protects against light damage from contact drying at the car wash. Two layers, applied no more than 5 minutes apart, give the full effect. Matte film is not polished before coating.
Three packages that are easy to sell
- Front protection. PPF on the hood, bumper and mirrors, PPF & VINYL on the film, MEGA 8 on the rest of the paint. The client gets chip protection where it matters and the same water behaviour over the whole car.
- Full gloss, no film. KRYTEX 9H+ as a base and MEGA 8 on top — about 12 months; two layers of 9H+ under MEGA 8 — about 15 months.
- Quick start. KRYTEX 7H+ on its own: 115°, 6 months, up to 30 washes / 15,000 km — a good entry offer for new clients.
Whatever the package, preparation decides the result: two-phase wash, decontamination, clay, polishing where needed and a final wipe with KRYTEX DEGREASER. Coatings cure at least 8 hours before the car is handed over.
For studios and distributors
KRYTEX supplies both films and coatings, with technical data sheets in English, Chinese and Russian for every product, technician training and partner terms for studios, dealers and distributors. Send a request and tell us which markets you work in.
