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How To Match Car Paint

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Metallic Car Paint Colors

How to Color Match Car Paint Perfectly

Often the color description will help you find your color. Say you have Garnet Red and Red Metallic and these are the only two reds shown for your vehicle. If you know your vehicle has metallic paint then the Red Metallic would probably be your color. If you don’t have metallic paint, the Garnet Red would be your color. Again, to be absolutely sure, check the color code on your vehicle.

How To Choose The Right Touch Up Paint Color For Your Car:

We have attempted to make the colors shown on the screen for your car as accurate as possible. However, your actual car paint color may not look the same as what you see on the computer screen. If you look at a metallic straight on, it can appear much darker than if you look at it at a lower angle. It is important to verify that you have the correct paint color for your car before ordering.

Example of How Color May Appear on Your Screen

;Color
Jade Green Metallic Clearcoat ;3G

Look at the above three colors. The color shown as Jade Green Metallic Clearcoat was taken as an overall impression of the color. Jade Green Metallic Clearcoat was taken from the middle of the door. Finally, Jade Green Metallic Clearcoat was taken from above the rear tire. As you can see, the three colors are similar, but pretty different. In our database, we actually show the top color Jade Green Metallic Clearcoat as the actual color in our database. Again, this is why it is so important to find the color code for your car.

How Does An Auto Body Shop Match Car Paint

by California Collision | Oct 2, 2020 | Blog

When you take your vehicle to an auto body and paint shop to fix a repair, there may be some repainting thats required, too. In order for it to look seamless, the new application needs to perfectly match the original color. Since every car brand uses custom colors and shades, how do auto body and paint shops achieve this? Read on to find out how an auto body shop can create the perfect color match, every time.

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In Your Owners Manual

Your car colour code will also be in your owners manual.

Making a note of your colour code makes it easier to find the right car paint, one that will match your car exactly. You can use Paint Match Pro to find a paint, or just find a stockist and visit them and they will help you to find your paint. However you can also find the right car paint without it.

Matching Car Paint Without Code

How to Match Car Paint Colors

If you are unfortunate enough to scratch your car and need a quick paint cover-up, sometimes it can be really confusing as to what the actual colour code of your car is. You will usually find it on the inside of the driver’s door, but sometimes it can’t be found anywhere; leaving you wondering how you resolve your paint problem. Some services will offer to combine shades to try and find the perfect colour, but even this won’t resemble the exact colour that your vehicle came in when it was brand new.

For this reason, driver’s tend to either leave the scratch or struggle to find a resolution. This blog will explain exactly how you can match car paint without a code.

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Car Paint Color Descriptions And Paint Color Names

If you know your color is Jewel Green Metallic Clearcoat and the code is PA and all you see on the screen is Emerald Green Metallic Clearcoat with the same code PA, these are the same colors. Often a vehicle manufacturer will just use a new name to describe an old color, then put the old color name on the vehicle invoice! Again, the color code, is how we mix the paint, not the paint description.

So How Do Paint Technicians Find A Match

Now that you know a little bit about how the auto paint manufacturing process works, you may be wondering how its at all possible to match the color. Dont worry; technology has come a long way and eye-balling a match is no longer the best practice.

When the time comes for paint to be touched up, or when a banged-up bumper needs replaced, taking the vehicle to a credible and modern auto body shop is of the utmost importance. Not every shop can recreate the paint from the factory that was applied to a vehicle; time is also an enemy of color on cars as sun, wind and weather slowly erode the pigment.

This makes mixing paint for those touch-ups even more difficult, but fortunately, some modern tools and technology have made it easier for auto body shops to help keep vehicles looking pristine.

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Where To Find Your Vehicles Color Code

The paint code of your car is listed somewhere on your car, but where exactly the color code is located will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Possible places to find the paint code of ON your car will be:

  • With the VIN
  • Trunk lid
  • Spare tire wheel well

You can also find the paint code of your car listed in the Owners Manual or your vehicles service history.;

Why Do You Need To Find Your Car Paint Code

DIY – How To (Blend Car Paint) to Match Metallic or Pearl Color – Fade Custom Paint Jobs Tips

Scratches;

If your car gets scratched by an individual or just through generic;wear and tear, many drivers feel that it’s necessary to have the scratches covered up. Especially, when coming to sell the vehicle if you own it.;;

Weathering;;

Weathering is inevitable, so having a touchup is common practice. Making the car look newer and fresher.;

Collisions;

If you were to be caught in a collision, some of the body parts of your car may need to be replaced or restored.;

To Colour Primer Parts;;

When new parts are ordered for your vehicle it will come in a primer, and the manufacturer/supplier will need to know what car paint code they need to match the colour with your vehicle.

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What Tools Do I Need For A Smart Touch Up Paint Job

To create the best looking coat for your vehicle, we recommend the following:

PRIMER, COLOR, AND CLEARCOAT – It goes without saying that you need paint to do a touch up paint job. Clearcoat provides a thin protective layer for your paint job while Primer is required for damage that has reached the original base material.

WAX AND GREASE REMOVER CLOTH – The wax and grease remover cloth is used to remove wax, grease, and contaminants before painting.

SANDPAPER – Wet-sanding the affected area removes rust and prepares the surface with a rough finish so the paint can stick better.

POLISHING COMPOUND – The polishing compound smooths everything out with a factory-grade finish.

These tools are all available with our Platinum kit but can be purchased separately on the TouchUpDirect website.

Let Us Help You Make Your Car Paint Look New Again

Several hundred thousand customers have already repaired their auto paint using touch up paint kits from PaintScratch.com. We take pride in offering the highest quality car paints and great customer service so that your car paint repair will be successful. We’re happy to answer any questions, and our scratch repair experts will gladly help you learn how to repair your car paint.

Get your car paint repair started by clicking your vehicle make in the list above.

Need paint for another vehicle? Find it here.

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How To Match Car Paint Colors

A small scrape on your car can be made invisible with some paint touch-up. However, the perfect match of the car paint color should be found. So, how to match car paint colors? You can do it yourself or with professional help. Read on…

A small scrape on your car can be made invisible with some paint touch-up. However, the perfect match of the car paint color should be found. So, how to match car paint colors? You can do it yourself or with professional help. Read on

Before we start looking at the two ways to match car paint colors, let us understand why matching car paint colors is a challenging task. First of all finding the exact paint color which was used on your car is difficult, this is because each car paint manufacturer keeps a margin of 5%. For example, there is a cherry red shade for a car. Now, the manufacturer has made a standard sample for this car color paint. But, a tolerance of plus or minus 5% is kept, when the paint is delivered. This means a client who bought a car which was manufactured in plant A , can be different from a clients car who bought the same car with the same specified color from plant B. So, even cars which are of the same model and have the same color can look different. This is the biggest challenge when it comes to finding the right paint color.

How To Match Auto Paint

How to Match Car Paint Colors

Let’s say you get a little scratch or a ding on your car. You’d like to match the exact color to have it repaired and looking good. If your car is older, the colors might not be easy to find. So how do you match auto paint? First, you need to know a few things about automotive paint:

  • Automotive paint is made of resin, pigment and solvent.
  • Resin determines the durability of your paint and the quality of the application .
  • Solvent provides the right amount of viscosity, so the paint can be applied .
  • Pigment comes in powder form and includes colors or toners that are mixed together to give the finish.

When choosing a color to match your car:

  • Find the color code for the original paint on your car. You’ll need the manufacturer’s name, the car’s model number and the year the car was manufactured. With this information, you may be able to find your car’s color code on the manufacturer’s Web sites, but it depends on the age of your car. You can also find your car’s color code on the car’s identification plate .
  • Take the color code to an auto body supply shop or repair shop and order the paint. Keep in mind that some cars may have two tones and need two or more paint colors .
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    Finding Your Paint Code & Colour Matching Paint

    Getting a perfect colour match is easy with Supercheap Autos paint mixing service.

    Touching up damage to your vehicles paintwork, or colour coding new accessories can make a huge difference to your vehicles overall appearance.

    Getting a perfect colour match is easy with Supercheap Autos paint mixing service.

    Step 1 – Locating Vehicles Colour Code

    This can likely be found next to the compliance plate; often located in the engine bay, on the firewall, or inside the door jams.

    Failing this, the colour code may sometimes be printed in the front of the owners manual.

    Step 2 – Acquire Paint

    With the colour code written down head into your local Supercheap Auto store where one of our friendly team members can mix your paint code into a touch up bottle, spray can, or a range of tins for use with spray equipment.

    They can even help you locate the colour code if you are having difficulty and it can all be done while you wait.

    Step 3 – No Paint Code, No Worries!

    Should you have an item without a paint code, such as a bicycle, old or custom built vehicle, or any other type of project; Supercheap Auto stores have a swatch book with a huge range of colours to choose from ready to be mixed to your requirements.

    How Do I Touch Up Paint My Car

    The first step to touch up painting is to find out the color of the paint on your car. For the best results and a guaranteed color match, first find the color paint code. The code is located in several places – on purchase documentation as well as in the drivers side door jamb and/or under the hood.

    Once you have the paint code for your car, truck, van, SUV, or motorcycle, you can get paint that exactly matches your car by using our paint finder. Simply select your vehicles brand, model and year from our paint finder and youll be guided to a page with all available paint codes/colors.

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    How To Restore Severely Faded Car Paint

    With severe oxidation, were crossing the line from restoration into repainting. This is not something that novices or inexperienced detailers should attempt to do on their own.

    If youre not sure of what youre doing, you could damage your cars body, or finish with a shoddy paint job that will oxidize again.

    We strongly advise you to go to a professional detailer for this if youre not familiar with the restoration process. If you want to attempt it on your own, be sure that you know what youre doing.

    If you do decide to do this, youll need to have quite a few specialized tools handy. For example, an air compressor and air spray gun will need to be at the ready.

    Ideally, you should have a well-equipped home garage or at least an available workspace to use.

    Also take note that this job will very likely take up a substantial amount of time to complete: a couple of days to a week, or maybe even longer in certain situations.

    Color Matching Technology Explained By Auto Body Pros

    Collision Repair Tech Tips-How To Match Paint On A Car

    Updated on March 26, 2019 by Jon Roach

    Matching paint colors during auto body repairs has come a long way in recent years. In the past, the process of matching paint was a hit or miss. These days, auto body professionals rely on high-tech tools to achieve a color thats as close to the original as youll get.

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    First A Few Things To Know About Car Paint

    • Car paint is made of three ingredients they are: resin, pigment and solvent
    • Resin determines the durability of the paint
    • Solvent provides viscosity making the paint applicable;
    • Pigment is the color. Typically pigment comes in the form of a powder and includes both color and toner helping reach that perfect shade.;

    Because these three components all impact the final dry paint job quality, you cant just opt to match the pigment of your vehicle and be done with it. It is important to find the exact paint match using a reputable brand of automotive paint or by going to a professional to achieve the quality result I only assume you are looking for since you are taking the time to read this article.

    If You Must Replace A Fender Or Other Panel

    If youve been unable to find the color code for your car, and if your vehicle was damaged in an accident, you may be unable to pay for a full replacement and repair job. Its one thing to visit a junkyard and find a matching panel replacement, but matching the paint finish is more complicated.

    You may get lucky and find a panel that matches your original color. This is an excellent first step toward replacing the damaged panel.

    Before throwing the damaged panel away, clean it, and cut a piece you can use as a color sample. Use this color sample for comparison when you visit the junkyard.

    If you need to have the panel professionally painted, the shop can match your vehicles finish. If you decide to paint the replacement panel yourself, the damaged panel serves as a good practice piece.

    Dont leave old car parts lying around the yard forever. Either get the job done or clean up the mess and find another way to fix the problem when youre ready.

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    CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS PLEASE NOTE:

    Restoration Shop UB Urethane Basecoat, AL Acrylic Lacquer and related solvents are not compliant for purchase in the State of California and may contain VOC which exceeds the limits in other districts/states.

    If your shipping address is in California, you CANNOT purchase these items. Your order will be cancelled, California residents must purchase VOC compliant materials, No Exceptions.

    Restoration Shop AE, AU and UBLV systems are compliant and can ship within California.

    Our History

    TCP Globals Auto Color Library is the worlds largest online auto paint color reference library in the world. The Auto Color Library Slogan Where yesterdays colors come alive today is true! They provide the actual automotive paint color standard reference chips for nearly all makes and models since automobiles were made, all the way back to the year 1900 and all the way up to the current automobiles made now.

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    How To Fix Auto Paint

    BYK

    So your car paint was just damaged and that nice auto paint job is suddenly not looking so good anymore. You want to repair your car’s paint before people notice and it starts to rust, but what are your options for paint repair?

    • Leave the car’s paint alone? Not a good choice for those who care about their auto paint.
    • Go to the auto body shop? Maybe they’ll do a good paint repair, but it will probably cost you hundreds of dollars.
    • Learn how to repair your car’s paint with touch up paint? The best car paint repair option for drivers who want to restore car paint affordably. It is easy to get great results with our car paint repair kits.

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