Yes, acrylic paint is heat resistant. They can easily withstand moderate heat, but latex-based acrylic paints have a higher heat-tolerating ability. Latex acrylics will easily withstand heat around 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Even when they’re exposed to 360-degree F heat, they seem to do fine in most cases.
Is acrylic paint heat-resistant? This is a question that is often asked by newcomer artists. And we’ve decided to give an in-depth answer to that question. Therefore, go through and you’ll become aware of many things regarding heat and acrylic paint.
Key Takeaways
- All acrylic paints are heat-resistant, but acrylic latex is good at withstanding higher temperatures.
- The ideal temperature for all acrylic paint is under 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
- You can make acrylic paint heat-resistant by baking it inside an oven.
- Sun heat won’t melt acrylic paint, but it’ll cause the paint to peel off, fade and crack pretty fast.
What Temperature Can Acrylic Paint Withstand?
Latex-based acrylic paint can withstand temperatures up to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, after this range, the paint might start to get soft or melt.
Another question that many painters ask is, will sunlight melt the acrylic paint? The answer is no! If you keep painting under direct sunlight, the paint might crack and fade with time, but the sunlight won’t melt or get it soft.
However, one should never set a painting under direct sunlight or anywhere else where it is exposed to extreme temperatures. The ideal temperature where acrylic paintings will remain good is 60 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Make Acrylic Paint Heat-resistant?
Heating is the most used method of making (Non-Latex Acrylic) acrylic paint heat-resistant. In this section, we’ll be taking you through a step-by-step guide to making acrylic paint heat-resistant.
Needed Items
- Paint Primer
- Acrylic Paint
- Additive Heat-resistant
- Varnish
- Oven
Step 1 – Using the Primer
If you are painting on a canvas or anything else, it would be wise to apply primer before applying the paint. Priming the surface will enable the paint to adhere better to the surface.
When picking a primer, make sure to choose one that is suitable for acrylic paint, and it’s best to avoid cheap quality ones.
Vallejo Grey acrylic primer is overall a good one for different surfaces such as wood, glass, metal, etc. Then there is Gesso universal primer, it’s another top-notch primer for acrylic paint.
Step 2 – Mix Heat-resistant Additive
Get a heat-resistant additive suitable for acrylic paint, and then mix the additive with the paint.
How much additives to mix vary from brand to brand, the packages should come with the ideal ratio. But a general rule of thumb is to add 8 ounces of additive to 1 gallon of acrylic paint.
After adding the additive, make sure to stir thoroughly for 5 or more minutes for the proper mixture.
Step 3 – Paint
Now complete your painting and when you’re done, leave the paint to dry for 24 hours or more. Gently touch the paint to see if it has dried or not. If the paint feels sticky or you see paint on the finger, that means the paint isn’t dried properly yet. In that case, you’ll have to give it more time.
Be choosy while selecting acrylic paint. Make sure you don’t mix acrylic and oil paint together; they don’t blend well.
Step 4 – Prepare the Oven
Properly clean the inside of the oven with a cloth and make sure the oven is cold. You should not put the paint into an oven that is already heated. Otherwise, the painting will crack.
Put the painting evenly inside the oven; if the painting is placed unevenly, the heat might damage the painting. And set a very high temperature. The ideal temperature, according to experts, is 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5 – Leave It for Half an Hour
It’ll take time for the oven to raise the temperature to 360 degrees; therefore, after putting the painting inside, you’ll have to wait for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, if you can see the heating process from the outside, keep an eye on that. So that you can see the process, and will know if anything goes wrong.
Step 6 -Removing the Paint
Baking the painting at 360-degree Fahrenheit temperature can cause the paint to melt a bit. This is why you shouldn’t remove the paint immediately when the heating process is done.
Let the painting bake for 30 minutes, and after baking, wait for an hour or so. Leave the painting there while keeping the oven lid open.
Once the painting has cooled down, take it out of the oven, and don’t do anything to the painting for 3 days.
Step 6 – Add Varnish (Not Mandatory)
Once it has cooled down properly, take a little amount of clear varnish on a brush and put a thin layer on top of the paint.
Adding varnish is not mandatory, but doing so can put one more heat-resistant layer on the painting. That said, if you feel like the varnish will mess with the painting’s look, avoid it.
Now your acrylic painting is heat-resistant!
Does High Temperature Make Acrylic Paint Toxic?
Compared to other paints, acrylic paints are considered to be less toxic. However, heating the paint at a high temperature might make the paint release toxic fumes. All paints come with VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and acrylic paint is no different (although the amount is less than other paints).
Normally paints release fumes, but when heated, the fumes get more concentrated which can be an issue for people with respiratory illnesses and those who’re chemical fumes sensitive. But if it’s about acrylic ink, well, the ink isn’t flammable though.
Speaking of acrylic ink, you can get a clear idea about the differences between acrylic ink and acrylic paint anytime you need.
Getting back to the point, acrylic paints come with pigments such as cadmium. High heat exposure can cause acrylic paint pigments to break down, which also releases toxic fumes.
However, you can prevent yourself from inhaling toxic fumes by wearing a protective mask and working in a well-ventilated area.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the type of acrylic and the heat temperature. If it’s latex-based acrylic, then the paint won’t melt even in 320 degrees F heat. And other acrylics will start to melt under 250-300 degrees F heat.
It depends on how much heat and what type of acrylic. Latex-based acrylic paints are more resistant to heat. But still, if you’re exposing the latex acrylic painting to 360-degree F heat continuously for a couple of hours, it’ll surely get damaged. Acrylic paints will be fine when the temperature is under 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can seal acrylic paint permanently with a good quality sealer. Leave the painting to dry properly, and then put the first coat of varnish sealer. Let the first coat dry, and then apply the next coating. Similarly, add another coating. 3-4 layers of sealer coating should seal acrylic paint permanently.
Conclusion
Generally, all acrylic paint is somewhat heat-resistant, but acrylic latex can withstand high heat compared to others. Extremely high temperatures can cause these paints to peel, melt and crack. Similarly, freezing temperatures can also damage the paint.
If you’re worried about sun heat, the heat from sun exposure won’t damage your acrylic painting within a few days; it’ll take a few months to reach there. But, it’s best not to expose these paints to the sun.
With that said, wrapping up this guide on ‘Is Acrylic Paint Heat Resistant?’. Hope you got what you were looking for.