"It's synthetic lacquer based acrylic paint,
Acrylic paints have an acrylic resin binder and use water and/or alcohol as a liquid. They are easy and safe to use, permanent,
quick drying, low odor and are suitable for brush and airbrush.
Drying time for acrylic paints is affected by many factors – how heavily it is applied, temperature, humidity, mediums used, brand, and color, to name a few – but most acrylic paints will be
touch dry in 20-30 minutes.
This does not mean they are cured. Cure time is when the acrylic film is fully stable, close to its maximum durability, water resistant and less vulnerable to attack by mild solvents. This usually takes at least three days for thin applications and may take much longer (up to two weeks or more) for thick applications.
Since acrylics can be thinned and equipment cleaned with alcohol or water they are very user friendly. However, care is needed because they can dry very quickly and when dried are difficult to remove. Most manufacturers produce thinners for use with their own ranges and to be absolutely safe you should stick with these. Water and alcohol will act as a thinner with most paint ranges, but will not always give such good results and it is not always possible to mix acrylic paints from different manufacturers.
Lacquers (cellulose) care is needed with this term as it is often used to describe any sort of glossy protective coating, for example furniture is often described as having a lacquered finish. Sometimes, a paint may be described as a lacquer when in fact it is an acrylic or enamel based gloss varnish.
A lacquer is distinguished from other paints by the solvent used which is cellulose. This makes it very different from other types of paint. Lacquer-type paints tend to be highly toxic and very strong smelling, fast drying, very flammable, and form a hard, durable, shiny finish (although some flat lacquers are available).
Because lacquers are very fast drying, highly toxic, flammable and very unforgiving they can be a real pain to use. However, they are popular with some modelers. The shiny hard wearing coat is ideal for auto models – particularly radio control which need to survive the real world. Lacquers are also great for realistic metallic finishes and one of the most popular ranges of metallic lacquers is made by Alclad.
Another range of lacquer paints popular with modelers is the 'Mr Color' range from Gunze Sangyo (not to be confused with their "Mr. Hobby" paint range). Tamiya produces a range of lacquer spray cans and Testors produce some clear lacquer coats under their Model Master range.
There is a weird contradiction with lacquer paints and plastic modeling. Cellulose melts plastic, so you might think that you would not want to get a lacquer paint in direct contact with the plastic surface. However, there are some lacquer based spray primers. Because the lacquer spray is so thin, it dries within seconds before it does any damage to the plastic surface, but it just has enough time to key into the plastic giving it very good grip.
Lacquers need to be applied very thin by spray can or airbrush in a very well ventilated area and with a protective mask. Alcohol, water and acrylic thinners will have no effect on lacquer paints. If anyone knows of a way to remove dried lacquer paint please let me know.
Due to their flammability many mail order and Internet shops will not ship them airmail so you might have to find a local source.
Personally, I would only use lacquer paints as a last resort, since I want to enjoy my hobby and they are just too unpleasant to work with. However, some modelers swear by them.
I never bought into the rule that says you can't apply a lacquer over any other type of paint. There are too many exceptions for this "rule" to be useful. There are many formulas for paints and the groupings are confusing. Lacquer and enamel paint have never been precise terms--they are not named from their ingredients. There is no universal governing body that sets out precise definitions for these types of paints. As a result, we get confused. The lines have become very blurred in the modern world. For example one myth is that all acrylic paints are water-based. There is no rule or law that says paints labeled acrylic must be water-based. Most acrylic paints are water-based, but that's because many acrylic polymers are water soluble. But acrylic polymers can also be soluble in alcohols, esters, and such. The term "acrylic" refers to the paint's solid film-former (binder). In chemistry terms, an acrylic polymer is based on the structure of acrylic acid. Thus if a paint's solid film-former is an acrylic polymer, then by definition it is an acrylic paint, regardless of which solvent(s) is used.
Tamiya's acrylic paints are not your typical acrylic paints. Tamiya uses alcohols and a glycol ether in addition to water as a solvent. But they as still acrylic paints. While Tamiya's acrylics probably are not lacquers, there is no rule that says a lacquer paint cannot have an acrylic binder (hence the acrylic lacquers in the auto industry).