Pinstriping

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Pinstriping is the art of applying a very thin line of paint or other material as a decorative stripe. It can be done freehand with a narrow pinstriping brush, or with thin vinyl tape placed on a painted surface.

The lines are usually added to highlight curves and add style on cars, motorcycles, bikes, boats, trucks, surfboards, and other curved surfaces. Pinstripes are typically a contrasting or complementary color and can also help hide small scratches or flaws. Freehand painted lines use a sword-shaped brush for precision.

Pinstriping became popular with the Kustom Kulture movement in the 1950s, led by artists like Kenny Howard (Von Dutch), Dean Jeffries, Dennis "Gibb" Gibbish, and Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. While modern computer graphics and vinyl decals reduced demand for traditional stripers, the craft is still practiced worldwide. Rolls-Royce even continues to hand-paint the coachlines on its cars.