P1200 sandpaper
15.3 µm grain
P1200 (FEPA) · about 800 grit (CAMI) · 0.015 mm average particle
What P1200 is for
Removing orange peel from paint. Beyond here the paper is polishing rather than removing.
The two scales
| FEPA (European) | P1200 |
| CAMI (American) | about 800 |
| Average grain | 15.3 µm |
| Scales agree here? | No — P1200 is about 50% coarser than a CAMI 1200 |
A packet marked 1200 in the United States is finer than one marked P1200 in Europe. The P prefix is the tell, and it is easy to miss on a label — which is why a finishing schedule copied from an American source and followed with European paper comes out coarser than intended at every step.
Nearby grits
| FEPA | CAMI | Grain | Typically |
|---|---|---|---|
| P600 | 400 | 25.8 µm | Wet sanding paint and polishing metal |
| P800 | 500 | 21.8 µm | Between coats on a high-gloss finish, and the start of the polishing range rather than the sanding one |
| P1000 | 600 | 18.3 µm | Wet sanding clear coat before compounding |
| P1200 | 800 | 15.3 µm | Removing orange peel from paint |
| P1500 | 1000 | 12.6 µm | Final wet sanding before machine polishing on automotive paint |
| P2000 | 1200 | 10.3 µm | Refining a polished surface |
| P2500 | 1500 | 8.4 µm | The fine end of what is generally sold |
Frequently asked questions
Is P1200 the same as 1200 grit?
No. P1200 is roughly CAMI 800 — the American 1200 grit is finer than the European P1200. The two scales agree up to about 180 and separate above it, so at this end a packet marked 1200 and a packet marked P1200 are genuinely different papers.
What grain size is P1200?
An average grain of 15.3 µm — 0.015 mm. That figure is what the P number is defined by, which is why it is the reliable way to compare across scales.
What is P1200 used for?
Removing orange peel from paint. Beyond here the paper is polishing rather than removing.
What comes before and after P1200?
Coming up from coarse, P1000 (18.3 µm) and then this; the next step finer is P1500 at 12.6 µm. Skipping more than one step leaves scratches the finer paper cannot remove — the usual cause of a surface that looks fine dry and terrible once finish goes on.