Colour Matching and Finishing
Colour matching
Start with the vehicle colour code, then check for variants. Manufacturers list several variants for one code, and fading changes the original shade. Use a spectrophotometer for a starting formula, but always spray a test card and compare it in daylight or colour-corrected booth light at several angles.
Blending
Even a good match can show at a panel edge. Blend basecoat into the adjacent panel, using a drop coat on metallics to match flake orientation. Tri-coat and pearl colours need the correct mid-coat and clear film thickness, or the colour shifts.
Finishing
After the clearcoat cures, denib with P1200–1500, refine with P2000–3000, compound with a foam pad, then polish. Keep pads clean and use the correct speed to avoid burning edges. Check under both daylight and inspection light.
Worked example
A silver bumper is painted to the code but looks lighter and coarser than the wing. Silver has variants and the flake is laying differently. Spray two test cards with different variants, choose the closest, reduce pressure for the drop coat, and blend into the wing. Reasoning: variant and flake orientation, not the code alone, control the visual match.
Traps
- Matching under sodium or fluorescent light only.
- Not blending on a metallic or pearl colour.
- Polishing fresh clear before it has cured.
- Using a dirty pad that leaves swirls.
- Forgetting flex additive where the product requires it.