just dip 'em, zinc 'em or paint 'em and then have them machined, no more stuff on pad surface ^_^

 

No offence, but I have to fly the on this one.
Do you honestly think that a thin layer of paint being scrubbed off is going to affect the friction ability of a set of pads????? No. It won't.
Prep your rotors with a wire cup brush and wipe with thinner. Apply a thorough coat of red (rusty metal) primer to everything. Once dryed, shoot it with any color high temp engine enamel you choose (I have always used aluminum for that subtle clean look). Allow adequate drying time between coats (2 should be sufficient). Let dry over night. Reinstall the rotors and calipers. The first couple of times you apply the brakes they will feel slippery, so no high speed runs out of the box. The pads will clean the friction surface perfectly and no more rusting hats or vents! Enjoy!

P.S.-- This also works and looks awesome for anyone running slotted or X-drilled rotors as well.

 

Speak of the devil, I Just did this to my new rotors. Basically all you have to do is paint the hat, don't touch the pad surface. Here are some pictures:


I had to do a rush job because I'm under the gun. I understand it's no excuse, but it would be wise to NOT paint the surface of where the rotor meets the pad. It's common sense. The metalic, semi-metalic, organic, oem compounds break apart into dust and are channeled away from the rotor during braking. If paint is applied to the surface the integrity of the pad changes. It no longer can break apart as specifically designed. However if you do end up painting the surface of the rotor and have a new set of pads to throw on afterwads, do it, why not. However I would not advise doing fast driving until all the paint has been removed and your pads have been replaced.