Custom paint schemes transform the sim racing experience from generic spec cars into personalized competitive machines. If you've ever watched an iRacing broadcast and wondered how every car features unique sponsor logos, custom colors, and intricate race liveries, the answer is Trading Paints. This external utility syncs live custom paint files directly into your iRacing sessions in real-time.
Getting started doesn't require advanced graphic design degrees or complicated file directory manipulation. This guide covers downloading the background downloader application, creating or selecting custom paint schemes, handling helmet and suit layers, and troubleshooting common sync issues during live multiplayer sessions.
Installing and Setting Up the Trading Paints Downloader
Before any custom cars appear on your screen, you need the background desktop application running while you race. This utility communicates with the official Trading Paints servers to download custom files for every driver in your current race lobby.
- Create a free account on the Trading Paints Official Website and link your active iRacing account credentials.
- Download and install the official Trading Paints Downloader client for Windows.
- Launch the desktop application and sign in using your account credentials.
- Keep the app running in your Windows system tray before launching the iRacing UI.
Once active, the background downloader automatically detects when you load into a practice session, qualifying round, or official race. It fetches paint files for other competitors within seconds, ensuring you see their custom designs instead of generic base models.
How to Apply Existing Liveries from the Showcase
You don't need to create designs from scratch to enjoy custom cars. Thousands of community-created liveries are available instantly through the website's showcase.
Find a design you like by browsing car models, series, or specific team colors. Click the green "Race This Paint" button on the vehicle page. The next time you load that specific car into an iRacing session, the downloader applies the custom car body, metallic finish maps, and windshield banners automatically.
If you race in team endurance events or league races, you can assign specific paints to your driver profile or team roster. This ensures your exact car scheme loads correctly across multiple driver swaps during long-distance endurance stints.
Designing Custom Paints with Photoshop or GIMP
If you prefer building unique liveries from scratch, you can paint custom templates using external image editing software like Adobe Photoshop or the free alternative GIMP.
- Visit the Trading Paints showroom or template repository to download the official .psd wireframe template for your specific car model.
- Open the file in your image editor. The template includes wireframe lines, sponsor placement guides, and shadow layers to help you visualize body panels.
- Paint your primary colors, geometric shapes, and sponsor decals on layers positioned underneath the wireframe and shadow layers.
- Save or export your finished design as a 32-bit Targa (.tga) file named according to your iRacing customer ID and car model specifications.
Never paint directly over the wireframe guide layer. Keep wireframes visible only while designing so you can align sponsor decals properly across door panels and wheel arches.
Uploading and Managing Your Custom Files
Once your Targa file is ready, uploading it to your profile takes less than a minute.
- Log into your account and navigate to the My Paints section.
- Select the specific car model matching your template file.
- Upload your exported .tga file for the car body. You can also upload separate files for custom helmets and racing suits using the designated tabs.
- Check the live preview to verify that your colors render correctly in the 3D viewer.
Your custom upload becomes immediately accessible to anyone else running the background downloader in your race lobby.
Customizing Helmets, Suits, and Numbers
Beyond the car body, you can personalize your driver's appearance to match your team branding. Helmet and suit files follow the exact same Targa export workflow as car bodies.
For helmets, pay close attention to visor tint settings and specialty spec maps. Spec maps dictate finish properties like matte, gloss, or chrome chrome reflections. To add a metallic shine to your car or helmet, create a secondary spec map file ending with the suffix _spec.tga where lighter shades represent high shine and darker areas create matte finishes.
Troubleshooting Common Sync Issues
Sometimes cars appear completely white or display default paint schemes despite having the downloader running. Fixing these synchronization glitches usually takes just a few steps.
- Check Background Status: Verify that the desktop app is actively running in your Windows system tray and hasn't lost internet connection.
- Clear the Cache: Delete your local iRacing paint cache folder located in your documents directory to force the client to re-download fresh texture files.
- Verify File Naming: Ensure your uploaded Targa files match exact naming conventions and don't exceed resolution limits.
- Restart the Client: Close both the sim and the background application, restart the downloader, and re-launch your session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do other drivers need Trading Paints to see my custom car?
Yes. Every driver in your race session must have the background downloader active to see your custom liveries. Otherwise, they will see your car in default base colors.
Can I use custom paints in official AI races and test sessions?
Yes. Custom liveries load correctly in solo test drives, AI seasons, hosted lobbies, and official multiplayer races as long as the desktop application runs in the background.
Why does my custom paint look pixelated in-game?
iRacing requires high-resolution textures. Ensure you export your files at 2048x2048 resolution or higher, and verify that your graphics settings inside iRacing have car texture resolution set to high.
Can I create custom paints without Photoshop?
Yes. GIMP, Paint.NET, and Photopea offer free alternatives that fully support editing layered .psd templates and exporting .tga files.
