P600 sandpaper
25.8 µm grain
P600 (FEPA) · about 400 grit (CAMI) · 0.026 mm average particle
What P600 is for
Wet sanding paint and polishing metal. P600 is about CAMI 400 — the gap is now a whole grade.
The two scales
| FEPA (European) | P600 |
| CAMI (American) | about 400 |
| Average grain | 25.8 µm |
| Scales agree here? | No — P600 is about 50% coarser than a CAMI 600 |
A packet marked 600 in the United States is finer than one marked P600 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| P1200 | 800 | 15.3 µm | Removing orange peel from paint |
Frequently asked questions
Is P600 the same as 600 grit?
No. P600 is roughly CAMI 400 — the American 600 grit is finer than the European P600. The two scales agree up to about 180 and separate above it, so at this end a packet marked 600 and a packet marked P600 are genuinely different papers.
What grain size is P600?
An average grain of 25.8 µm — 0.026 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 P600 used for?
Wet sanding paint and polishing metal. P600 is about CAMI 400 — the gap is now a whole grade.
What comes before and after P600?
Coming up from coarse, P500 (30.2 µm) and then this; the next step finer is P800 at 21.8 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.