Sandpaper Grit Guide — Which Grit Should I Use?
Which Grit Should I Use?
Match the right sandpaper grit to your job in seconds. Lower numbers cut fast and remove material; higher numbers refine and smooth.
Heavy stock removal, stripping old paint and coatings, leveling body filler, and aggressive shaping.
Rough sanding, knocking down filler, removing deep scratches, and initial shaping.
General sanding, smoothing surfaces, and scuffing or feather-edging before primer.
Final sanding before priming, smoothing primer coats, and prep for sealer or paint.
Final finishing, scuffing for paint adhesion, sanding sealer, and light prep work.
Wet sanding and clear-coat correction, removing dust nibs, and prepping for polishing.
How to choose with confidence
Work up in steps
Move through grits gradually, avoiding jumps larger than about 50-100, so each pass clears the previous scratches.
Match the material
Bare metal and body filler start coarse (P36-P80); paint prep finishes fine (P180-P220).
Go wet for gloss
Wet sand at P400 and up with water for clear-coat correction and a swirl-free polish.
Shop by format
Guidance for typical automotive refinish and woodworking use. When in doubt, test on a scrap area first.