Repair guide
How Automotive Paint Matching Works
By K SAM Automotive Inc. · Updated
The short answer
Paint matching starts with the colour code on your vehicle, then the mixed paint is checked against the car itself because paint fades and shifts with age. Blending the new colour into the panels beside the repair is what makes the match invisible.
Step 1: the paint code
Every vehicle has a paint code, usually on a sticker in the driver side door frame or under the hood. The code gives the formula for the colour when the car was new.
Step 2: matching the car as it is today
A five year old car parked outside is not the same colour it was at the factory. Sun, weather and washing change it slightly. Even new cars can vary between production batches. That is why a code alone is not enough, and the mix is checked against the vehicle before painting.
Step 3: blending
Blending means fading the new colour into the neighbouring panels instead of stopping at the edge of the repaired panel. Without blending, even a near perfect mix can show a visible line where the new paint meets the old, especially on metallic and pearl colours.
Step 4: clear coat and finish
Most modern cars have a base colour with a clear coat on top. The clear coat gives the gloss and protects the colour. A good finish has no dust, runs or texture difference compared with the rest of the car.
How to check a paint match
Look at the repair in daylight and from an angle, not just straight on. Metallic colours can look right from the front and wrong from the side. A good match is one you cannot pick out without being told where it is.
Common questions
Where is my car's paint code?
Usually on a sticker in the driver side door frame. On some vehicles it is under the hood, in the trunk or in the owner's manual.
Why do shops paint panels that were not damaged?
To blend the colour. Fading the new paint into the panels beside the repair hides the transition so the repair cannot be seen.
