P500 sandpaper
30.2 µm grain
P500 (FEPA) · about 360 grit (CAMI) · 0.030 mm average particle
What P500 is for
Fine finishing and light wet sanding. Rarely stocked outside automotive work.
The two scales
| FEPA (European) | P500 |
| CAMI (American) | about 360 |
| Average grain | 30.2 µm |
| Scales agree here? | No — P500 is about 39% coarser than a CAMI 500 |
A packet marked 500 in the United States is finer than one marked P500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| P240 | 220 | 58.5 µm | The first grit of the finishing range rather than the preparation range, and the first where the two scales visibly part company: P240 falls between CAMI 220 and 240 and matches neither |
| P280 | 240 | 52.2 µm | Fine finishing on hardwood, and between coats of varnish |
| P320 | 280 | 46.2 µm | De-nibbing between coats |
| P400 | 320 | 35 µm | The clearest case of the mismatch |
| P500 | 360 | 30.2 µm | Fine finishing and light wet sanding |
| 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 |
Frequently asked questions
Is P500 the same as 500 grit?
No. P500 is roughly CAMI 360 — the American 500 grit is finer than the European P500. The two scales agree up to about 180 and separate above it, so at this end a packet marked 500 and a packet marked P500 are genuinely different papers.
What grain size is P500?
An average grain of 30.2 µm — 0.030 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 P500 used for?
Fine finishing and light wet sanding. Rarely stocked outside automotive work.
What comes before and after P500?
Coming up from coarse, P400 (35 µm) and then this; the next step finer is P600 at 25.8 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.