If a section of your vehicle's auto paint becomes damaged from a collision, weathering, or wear and tear, you might worry that it will look out of place with a new coat of paint. Fortunately, computerized color-matching solves this issue. Use the guide below to learn how manufacturers match your car's paint color. 

How Car Manufacturers Get Their Paint

Automakers source their paints by creating a standard for every color they use and sending it out to paint manufacturers. The paint suppliers then produce their own formulation to match the automakers’ specifications, creating alternate formulas of the same color.   

When auto manufacturers run out of auto paint, they bid out their requirements for a particular color. However, they do not get the same hue because of variations resulting from humidity and temperature in the manufacturing plant during paint production. The slight change in color is also due to having a different supplier.

Why Body Shops Have to Match Instead of Buying Paint Directly

Vehicle manufacturers do not release their auto paints to repair shops because they often have more than one supplier, each with a different formulation. That’s why they cannot guarantee the accurate matching of colors between the original paintwork and repaired portion.

To address this, auto body shops have developed a technology to determine the precise color makeup of auto paint and mix a color that matches it. 

The computerized color matching technology also accounts for changes in your paint job due to car care products used, frequency in cleaning, and exposure to sunlight. These can affect how your auto paint looks—versus an automobile of the same make and color—when you bring it in for repairs.  

How the Matching Process Works

An auto paint technician scans your vehicle with a spectrophotometer, measuring the light wavelength reflected from the body. The software calculates the combination of pigments necessary to reproduce the paint color. 

After the paint is mixed, the technician will spray a small amount on a card, let it dry, and place it next to the vehicle’s original paintwork. It’s best to compare the colors under sunlight to see differences. They will continue adjusting the blend until the color matches.   

When you need a coat of auto paint that best matches your original paintwork, turn to Mach 1 Body Shop in Hinesville, GA. They are a trusted auto body shop offering top-notch restoration services for cars, SUVs, and trucks, including collision repair, paintless dent removal, and frame straightening. Reach out at (912) 876-5500, or view their full list of services online.