How Does an Auto Body Shop Match the Color of the Repaired Parts to the Rest of the Vehicle?

Oct 18, 2019

Will the Auto Body Shop Match the Paint Color of My Car?

Getting your vehicle fixed after an accident can be a burden. Almost all repairs to the body of the vehicle will require paint application. Vehicle owners often ask how the auto body shop will match the color of the paint on their vehicle. This can be one of the most challenging parts of auto body repair, and is essential for any successful body shop.


At the assembly plant, your vehicle was painted along with a number of others from a paint formula that was mixed and prepared for those vehicles that day. There are many variables affecting the color tones and hue of that particular mixture. Although, paint application equipment is cleaned, the previous color formula pigments will carry-over into the next formula color. Paint ingredient suppliers have slight variations in their pigments, and material cost drives frequent supplier changes. During the application process, humidity, application pressure, nozzle size, distance and angle to panel influence how the dried paint will appear. Body paint matching a vehicle is a skill that not all auto body shops can accurately achieve. Luckily, Ray’s Automotive has years of experience color matching vehicles. 

How Do You Find the Right Color?

All automotive paints are assigned codes specific to the color; but, there are several variations for each code. Even basic colors like black will have dozens of different shades available. Also, it is important to keep in mind, colors normally fade after being outside and on the road for a few years. The closer to the equator, the more direct the sun rays and the quicker the fading. Vehicles that are older with weathering and fading might not be able to be paint matched due to difficulty replicating the amount of fading.


Auto body shops use a variety of techniques to match colors on a vehicle. To begin with, vehicles have a tag located somewhere on the vehicle (inside of the door jam, trunk, hood, or glove compartment) indicating the paint color code. This allows the shop to see the most common formulas in the manufacturer's database of colors. The painter chooses a color variant from the database and sprays a test panel on a 5"x7" metal or plastic card to be used side by side with a representative panel on the vehicle. Keep in mind, if the vehicle has been repaired previously, the vehicle may be two-toned from the previous shop. We have to decide how to make our repair blend with the majority color of the vehicle. 


If the test panel does not look like the vehicle color, a special camera is used to decipher the pigment content of the vehicle panel. The painter then uses the camera derived formula to spray a test panel. If this test panel is not suitable, the painter uses his visual acuity to adjust the ratio of pigments in the formula to match the vehicle. Painter experience determines how quickly and closely, if at all, the original vehicle formula will be matched. 


In truth, there is no such thing as perfectly replicating the original vehicle color due to all the variables listed previously. The auto body shop will develop a suitable matching color and then utilize blends to make the repair area invisible. Blending is the diminished application of paint onto adjacent panels so that there is a smooth transition from the newly painted area to the original vehicle paint. Panel blending is the industry standard taught by certifying organizations and by the paint manufacturers. Oftentimes, the insurance companies try not to pay for blends to save money. Be sure you choose an auto body shop with the proper training and certifications to know the industry standard so the shop may advocate on your behalf to have the insurer pay for the proper repair of your vehicle!

Ray’s Automotive Guarantees Quality Paint Work!

Most shops do not properly "prep" a vehicle for paint because it is time consuming and not initially apparent after the job is painted and complete. If a vehicle is not prepped properly, the paint job will eventually fail over time, but this happens usually several months or a year later. For customers of our insurance direct repair programs, we guarantee the paint job for the duration of your ownership of the vehicle.


Once the vehicle has been prepped, Ray's Automotive can now take the necessary steps to paint the vehicle to bring it back to life. This is the step that is most apparent to the outside world. The repairs can be performed perfectly, but without a precise paint job the repair is not complete. Ray's Automotive uses only the highest quality paint for your vehicle as we would for our vehicle repair.

Give Us a Call!

Our team has years of experience in painting vehicles. Whether you need to touch up scrapes or need a paint job after a collision repair, we have you covered! We promise to bring back the beauty of your car with a fantastic paint job. Call us today to learn more about our vehicle painting services!

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