

Metallic colors will cause variances in color when applied. The metallic colors control the value (lightness and darkness) of the color similar to what white does in a pastel color.

Extra fine, fine, medium, medium coarse, coarse, and extra coarse. The metallic colors are now classified in 7 categories.

The second reason for variances in paint colors is the metallic color applications. If the alternates are not available, the painter in the body shop usually mixes the standard formula and tints it accordingly. This is the reason the paint manufacturers usually have the standard formula followed by two alternates. When compared side by side, they look like a completely different color. This is the first problem because the plant in the east coast may be getting a 5% shade greener on a blue metallic standard and the plant in the west coast may be getting a 5% shade violet on the same blue metallic standard.
Best color match spray paint for cars plus#
The paint manufacturer then produces a formula for the “standard sample” and is allowed a tolerance of plus or minus 5% when they deliver the paint. The manufacturer decides on a standard color for production and submits a painted sample to their suppliers. So why do the car manufacturers have so many variances? Most car manufacturers have three major paint suppliers. There is actually more but the auto paint manufacturers have narrowed them to down to keep the databases simple to use.
Best color match spray paint for cars code#
Today, the average paint code has between three to seven alternates that are worth formulating. The first challenge is the factory standard. So what affects color match? Now that you know the ingredients and application process of automotive paint, I will explain what happens to color during the application.Īuto paint colors are made up of a combination of pigment colors and metallic sizes including pearls. The same process is used in basecoat colors today except we are not worried about gloss because the urethane clearcoat is applied as the final topcoat and provides the deep gloss we need. The secrete to this application was to keep the paint film wet, so when you mist the metallic on the wet surface it would flow to the bottom of the paint film and let the gloss resin rise to form the glass look we were looking for. The painter had to move fast and paint panel by panel and jump side to side to keep the overspray melting. The third coat was applied medium wet and immediately followed by a mist coat until the metallic was even. This challenge was overcome by applying the first and second coat medium wet to achieve coverage and good bond to the surface. The painter was challenged in painting a single stage metallic system because he only had 4 coats to achieve coverage and layout the metallic in a uniform matter by dusting light coats but still maintain an acceptable gloss. In single stage metallic paints, the paint film is all one layer combined including the gloss resin, pigment, metallic and solvent. This was a major problem in trying to match the metallic colors for several reasons. Prior to 1985, the majority of the domestic cars had single stage paint from the factory.

Now that you know the three basic ingredients, let’s talk about the different paint systems and the applications for each. The solvent is what provides the transferability, without the solvent the paint would be to thick in viscosity to transfer from container to container. The pigment comes in a powder form similar to concrete, and the average aftermarket automotive paint mixing system includes about 100 colors or toners to be able to mix formulas including metallic and pearl paint colors. The resin is the component that holds together the pigment in suspension, provides adhesion to the surface applied, and determines the quality and paint durability. There are three basic ingredients in automotive paint: I believe if you can grasp a little bit about what auto paint colors are made of and how their application shifts color, then you could understand what causes color to change and what you need to do to match them. In this article I will be discussing the main factors of why color match is such a difficult task. Automotive Paint Colors: What Affects Color Match? Why is auto paint color match such a difficult task?Īutomotive Paint Colors: What affects color match?
