What is a paint filter?

[Kageken]

I have seen you guys talk about washes and filters.  What is a filter, what they do , and how do you use them? Thanks for the help and info in advance.

[fulcy]

I had wondered about this for a while, and from my understanding, it's basically a very thin clear coat of paint applied to the entire model.  This is done to give the entire model the same 'feel' - for example, say you are painting a model and your backstory is that it's been in the desert for a while, or out in the sun for a while - the entire model would have a similar tint to it, and a paint filter does this to the model.

[beaveren]

A paint filter is similar to a glaze used in oil painting. It is typically a thinner ratio of paint to medium unlike a wash. My filters are usually around 5% paint to 95% thinner. It helps to help smooth out the transitions between colors.

B

[Grail]

I use filters by MIG a lot, and I mix my own. In my opinion,you are just looking to unify the colors you have painted. Or take a model from bright white,to off white for example.
Just to give the piece a little age maybe,and not really change the color too much. I don't recommend filters unless you are weathering a model. Clean paint ups rarely need them.

Watch Fichtenfoo's Falcon build wip videos and he actually has footage of him using a filter process.