What is the term for a primer that fills in imperfections to provide a smooth surface?

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A primer surfacer is the material designed to fill in imperfections and produce a smooth, even surface before color or clear coats. It’s a high‑build primer that flows into and fills sanding scratches, small dents, pinholes, and other minor flaws so the next coats lay down uniformly and adhere well. It’s commonly called a filler primer or surfacer and is normally sanded smooth as part of the prep before basecoat and clearcoat.

Fisheyes are defects that form crater‑like gaps caused by contaminants or oils, not a feature of the filling primer. Featheredge describes how you blend the edge of a repair into surrounding paint, not a type of primer. A three-stage finish refers to a paint system’s layer sequence, not the purpose of a primer designed to fill imperfections.