Does your car need touchup paint? Perhaps you were in a collision, maybe the paint is starting to peel, or maybe the body of your vehicle has developed a bit of rust? Regardless of the reason why your vehicle requires a paint touchup, it’s important that the new paint matches the old; otherwise, the area will be glaringly obvious.
To help you better understand how paint color matching works, the auto body repair experts at Minnetonka Collision explain two different ways technicians can color match paint below.
Apply the Manufacturer’s Auto Body Paint
The most consistent way to color match car touchup paint is to use the original manufacturer’s products. Just as ordering OEM parts for your vehicle ensures a perfect fit, ordering the original paint ensures a perfect color match. Unfortunately, though, not every manufacturer is willing to disclose proprietary paint information or sell the original paint to an auto body repair shop.
While opting for the original paint is typically a shop’s preferable course of action, that may not always be an option, especially if the specific paint color has been discontinued. If that’s the case, the technicians then rely on paint-matching technology to ensure the touchup paint perfectly mimics the original color.
Utilize Paint Color Matching Technology
If a shop can’t get ahold of the manufacturer’s paint, the next best option is to replicate the original color with the paint products they have access to. Auto body repair technicians perform this process using a device called a spectrophotometer.
This specialty machine calculates the amount of light and detects the exact shades of color in the vehicle’s existing paint job. The technicians then pair that data with the vehicle’s VIN number to electronically determine the exact paint formula that’s currently on the vehicle.
Using computerized measuring systems, the technicians then distribute and combine precise ratios of paint colors and apply the final product to each of the damaged areas. The resulting touchup paint job perfectly matches the vehicle’s existing hue.
Need Car Touchup Paint? Contact Minnetonka Collision
If your vehicle’s paint job isn’t fully intact and you’re looking for high-quality touchups, get in touch with our team at Minnetonka Collision. We specialize in performing high-end auto body repairs and can perfectly match your touchup paint with your vehicle’s existing color. We offer limited lifetime guarantees on the work we perform, and because we’re an insurance-preferred shop, we can also handle your claims from start to finish. To learn more about our services, request a free estimate, or schedule an appointment, give our Plymouth, MN office a call today at 763-230-7805 or connect with us online, and we’ll be in touch.