Shop guide
H, Elite, C, or V? Cerakote series explained for job planning
Customers ask for a color; the series is your call. The four Cerakote product lines differ in cure method, temperature tolerance, film build, and wear characteristics, and picking the right one per part is part of what they're paying a professional for.
H-Series: the default
Oven-cure ceramic, roughly 250°F bake, the biggest color catalog and the standard for the majority of work — firearms, knives, tools, most metal parts that fit in your oven and tolerate the heat. If a job has no special constraints, it's an H-Series job.
Elite series: the premium upsell
Also oven-cure, formulated for higher lubricity and mar resistance with a distinctive low sheen. The catalog is smaller, but for high-wear surfaces — slides, bolt carriers, working knives — Elite is a legitimate 'good/better' tier you can price above H-Series.
C-Series: heat is the headline
Air-cure with high temperature ratings — this is the line for suppressors, muzzle devices, exhaust systems, headers, and anything else that runs hot enough to cook an H-Series finish. Air cure also means it's the option for parts that can't go in the oven at all.
V-Series: thin film for tight tolerances
An air-cure thin-film line for parts where added thickness would bind — internals, threaded sections, precision fits. Lower film build means the part's function survives the finish.
Putting it on the quote
Name the series on every quote line — 'Graphite Black H-146' reads professional and prevents the customer from comparing your quote against a rattle-can price. When you send a visual proof, the factory codes ride along with the mockup, so the approved picture and the ordered product always match.