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Always confirm the part number of the tint before adding it into the paint.
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Don’t assume that everyone puts tints back in their proper place.
#Color match auto paint code#
Double check to make sure you have the paint code right.Ĭonfirm the tint numbers. On more than one occasion, I’ve gone in to mix the paint and found that I’d read the paint code wrong. It’s hard to make the wrong formula match. So, if you’re painting a vehicle that’s not smooth, make sure your paint isn’t perfectly smooth either.Ī few tips to avoid common paint-matching mistakes: A lot of vehicles come right from the factory with an orange peel surface. However, the fact is that a very low percentage of factory paint jobs are that smooth. All painters have that internal desire to make the paint look as smooth as glass. The same thing will happen if the texture of your clear doesn’t match the texture of the vehicle. These different colors of light reflect off the surface of the car differently, causing a less-than-acceptable match. This happens because the clear acts as a prism and breaks down the natural white light to different colors of the spectrum. Applying more than the recommended amount of clear will actually cause light to hit the color differently, causing a mismatch. Most clearcoats are two-coat applications. Īpply the recommended amount of clear.When choosing an alternate formula, choose the one with the right metallic that matches your vehicle. Coarser metallic makes the paint look darker, while a finer metallic makes the paint look lighter.
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You can actually have a paint color match, but it’ll appear differently than the car because of a mis-matched metallic. When matching metallic colors, always be sure that the metallic flake is the proper size.
#Color match auto paint how to#
See the box called, “I Don’t Like My People Green” for detailed information on the three dimensions of color and how to adjust them correctly.Ĭhoose the right size metallic flakes. To do this, you’ll have to evaluate the three dimensions of color: chroma, hue and value. It’s time to evaluate the differences in the vehicle finish and your paint formula. Although this effect is used in custom painting, it’s not a desirable thing to have when trying to match a factory finish.Įvaluate the three dimensions of color. The biggest problem when using tints outside of the original formula is that they tend to cause “metamerism.” This is the term used in the paint industry to describe a finish that changes color, or hue, under different lighting conditions. A lot of tints aren’t designed to be used with each other, and some tints cannot be used in metallics. Never use tints outside of the formula unless your paint supplier has told you that it’s compatible. When tinting your paint, always use tints that are in the original formula. When all else fails (you’ve chosen the proper alternate and are using the proper reducer and gun technique), you’ll need to tint a color to create a match. Color-corrective lighting, a type of light that mimics daylight, will help ensure that you have the proper cast on the vehicle when trying to evaluate a match. Incandescent lights tend to give off a red cast, and fluorescent lights can give off a yellow or blue cast.
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