Why Not Do Paint Correction/Enhancement Before Installing Clear Bra/PPF?

Paint correction/paint enhancement will remove anything on the paint that would otherwise make it slick (wax, sealant, etc), and make it “grab” very hard. It sounds like something you would want for sticky paint protection film but you really don’t. 

The clear bra will stick well enough if the edges are prepped well (no residual wax, sealant, or ceramic coating on the EDGES). If the paint protection film grabs too hard during installation it will tack (adhere/stick) harder and faster, leaving behind marks where the adhesive was stretched on the paint. 

If a car is paint corrected before installation, we would almost need to wax everything but the edges to make sure the clear bra stretches safely during installation. This is especially true on a black car is because black cars show those clear bra adhesive distortions more than any other color, and we already increase our slip solution ratio by about 10% as is to try to minimize them. 

Plus, anything that would likely come out during paint correction, like swirls, will be filled in and covered by the clear bra/paint protection film adhesive anyhow.

Lastly, the prepping of the surface before the clear bra is applied, like squeegeeing to clean it off, which is a step in the clear bra process that can’t be skipped, is going to leave swirls in the paint, as would the removal of the clear bra (later on, should it need to be). 

So doing paint correction with the thought “The paint is now perfect, and later on it won’t need to be done when the film is removed” is misguided, as the clear bra removal (should it ever be required) is going to scratch the paint, anyhow (thereby needing paint correction again). 

The only prep required for clear bra installation is extensive cleaning with soap and a brush, and clay bar.