Off Color: The Ability to Match a Color Anthony NM

By Mike Muir
2/1/2004

With the advent of blending techniques over the past 15 years, a perfect paint match isn't always necessary. However, you will occasionally have a need to paint a panel, such as a bumper fascia, spoiler or air deflector, without blending. When those times arise, having the ability to match a color is a very valuable asset.

More than likely, you've come across vehicles built at the same plant with the same paint code that didn't match each other or the color chip standard - usually metallic or pearl colors. This is typically caused by the constant agitation of the paint at the factory. The constant motion causes the metallic and pearl flakes to collide, causing some to get broken into smaller pieces. And these smaller flakes reflect less light, giving the paint a darker appearance.

Whatever the reason for the differences at the factory level, it's your job to make sure your paint matches as closely as possible to the actual paint on the vehicle. So, without any further ado, let's get started.

Use the right paint formula. When evaluating a match, make sure you have the right paint formula. More than one painter has discovered that he's mixed the wrong formula, and sometimes this is just a case of reading the paint code wrong.

Most paint companies today offer more than one formula for the same paint code. These alternate formulas give you a starting point for mixing the proper color.

Are you trying to match a vehicle that's faded ...