P1500 sandpaper
12.6 µm grain
P1500 (FEPA) · about 1000 grit (CAMI) · 0.013 mm average particle
What P1500 is for
Final wet sanding before machine polishing on automotive paint.
The two scales
| FEPA (European) | P1500 |
| CAMI (American) | about 1000 |
| Average grain | 12.6 µm |
| Scales agree here? | No — P1500 is about 50% coarser than a CAMI 1500 |
A packet marked 1500 in the United States is finer than one marked P1500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 P1500 the same as 1500 grit?
No. P1500 is roughly CAMI 1000 — the American 1500 grit is finer than the European P1500. The two scales agree up to about 180 and separate above it, so at this end a packet marked 1500 and a packet marked P1500 are genuinely different papers.
What grain size is P1500?
An average grain of 12.6 µm — 0.013 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 P1500 used for?
Final wet sanding before machine polishing on automotive paint.
What comes before and after P1500?
Coming up from coarse, P1200 (15.3 µm) and then this; the next step finer is P2000 at 10.3 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.