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Getting paint matched

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 296 V8, Jul 7, 2012.

  1. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

     
    Anyone else having trouble getting paint matched correctly????

    This place iv been using (the only one for miles around) has got it wrong 4 times now.
    This is starting to piss me off … that in the year 2012 I cant get a good match for automotive paint but house paint is no problem.

    Is it just the place im using …. Do I need to make an 80 mile round trip to get it right or just as wrong?

    Any real paint people here ? ....... that know for real what the deal is?

    Thanks
     
  2. pimpin paint
    Joined: May 31, 2005
    Posts: 4,937

    pimpin paint
    Member
    from so cal

    Hey,

    Ya didn't say whether this was a metalic, bb/cc tri-coat or custom mixed colour, but your not alone with this problem:(

    Most ''house paints'' use only a few bases & tints to produce their colours, automotive finishes use dozens, and many different sized aluminum flakes to produce a correct match on a metalic.

    Just because a guy sells automotive paint, don't mean he knows shit from shinola 'bout mixing it or colour:rolleyes:

    Time to find a new shop;)

    " Humpty Dumpty was pushed "
     
  3. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

    Sorry
    All have been solid single stage ... 3 red - 1 yellowish orange
     
  4. do my own spotting and go to a paint supply with the meter to read the old color
    seems to work OK
    do these people got any experience??
    i started painting in Nam and managed to figure it out by now , except for all the new fangled materials:eek:
     

  5. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

    I know
    Then I go in and every thing has changed again …. got to re buy everything
     
  6. terry48435
    Joined: Jun 23, 2010
    Posts: 477

    terry48435
    Member

    An auto supply place near me uses a camera to scan the paint on the car and then loads it into a computer program and matches it exactly. They can even tell you what car it came on if it is factory paint. It also tells them how to mix it.
     
  7. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    They can't even match a color chip. I took the chip out into the sunlight and finally made my selection. Had it mixed and took it to the shop and it was not even close let alone trying to blend with it. I took it back and asked the guy does this look like the chip? He took me into the back and added several shots of black before it was close to the chip. I get sooo frustrated over the years trying to get the color in my head.

    I have a friend with a body shop and he said...I'll mix it up for ya. It was tan and an not off white. I ordered some for my 56 Ford off of the internet and was amazed that it matched the cowl under the fender perfectly.
     
  8. robertsregal
    Joined: Oct 2, 2008
    Posts: 743

    robertsregal
    Member

    Depending on how old and color,and or metallic the paint is you are trying to match, you may have variance formulas for that paint code. I did body work for 25 years and when I left the profession in 2000 I could paint a panel in the booth and bolt it on vehicle with perfect results. Evan at that time there where colors that would have 4 variances of formula. That being said there are still colors that would require some tint of the formula in the mixing room and blending on panels. What are you painting and what color and do you have the formula from that original color?
     
  9. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

    I took in a sample …….( off topic jeep with a non stock color).
    Its kinda close and good enough for what it is but my point is … for what I paid for it I expect a better match.
    Eventually ill be painting something that really matters and ………………………………......... :mad:



    So do I need to be asking up front how do you intend to match my color ?
     
  10. robertsregal
    Joined: Oct 2, 2008
    Posts: 743

    robertsregal
    Member

    This sounds like a case where blending into panels and or tinting in paint room and technique and experiance would be successful, good luck!
     
  11. Paint stores mix and sell paint. PAINTERS match colors. It's one of the more difficult parts of their job. Don't expect some counter guy to mix something you can spray right out of the gun to match.
     
  12. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,263

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The best idea, if you think you can do it, ask the supplier to give you a splash of the main tints in separate cans. IE, reds can be "too blue" or "too orange" so get each tint that moves it in those directions. Their lighting, work load, lack of ability, lack of desire to do any better than a paycheck, all are working against your desire to be right on the money. Sadly you can't correct the supplier's faults so fix em on your own. Don't forget, your underbase will grossly change the final shade, ESPECIALLY in bright sunlight. FWIW, it's not as hard as it sounds. Just be patient and conservative as you correct the tones. Good luck.
     
  13. South_paw
    Joined: Aug 19, 2010
    Posts: 560

    South_paw
    Member
    from America

    I'm an automotive paint distributor for over 20 years. Please answer the following

    What color is it?
    What kind of paint?
    What kind of spray equipment are you using? (please include compressor size)
    Are you blending? *
    *if the answer to blending is no, are you prepared to pay for a "spray out" color match at an hourly rate plus materials? This still wont be an absolute guarantee of a match because a different painter using different equipment will be applying the finish and that may throw the color off as well.

    IMO, the best color matches come from shops that have a mixing machine. This way the paint, painter and car are all in the same place, matched by the guy applying the color.

    Anything else can be a crap shoot.
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2012
  14. A good retailer of automotive paint should also have this camera set-up..I live in a very small town and the Dupont paint store used this camera for me many times,,paint ALWAYS matches...
     
  15. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

    1.
    Obviously yellow
    On the new gate is
    5 plus coats over black primer (Photo makes it look real bad)
    [​IMG]

    2.
    Solid single stage urethane
    [​IMG]

    3.
    JGA 502 …. 11.4 cfm - 5 hp compressor

    4.
    No ….. Painting entire panels
     
  16. plodge55aqua
    Joined: Jan 4, 2009
    Posts: 1,710

    plodge55aqua
    Member
    from Alberta

    Mixing paint to tinting the color to make it match is not a easy task.. . Paint chips are a approximent, most are photos.. Not the real Painted Chip.. even at that.. taking a picture with the camera , and Loading it into the computer will give you a Close match.. but in most cases.. it will still have to be tinted.. it doesnt take much to alter a color.. colors can be to blue, Green sometimes to red.. when a color is mixed .. it may look close from the first glance to the Chip.. but in most cases when a color is sprayed.. as it dries it can darken.. where you see maybe to much red or other color that wont make it match to your own color..
     
  17. oldolds
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 3,408

    oldolds
    Member

    I always amazes me the problems with color matching. I recently had a maroon Ford truck (1990) to spot repair. The color the mixed the first time was from the formula, didn't match. The second time it was mixed with a scan from the truck, didn't match. The store said it wouldn't match because the truck was old and faded. . My truck matched the chip in the book. We got it right the third time when they gave me some extra colors to ad as I thought was needed. They gave me paint and hardener and such, but what was a one day job took 3.
    It takes effort from everyone to match paint sometimes.
     
  18. Before you shoot the paint supplier was there a recommended tinted sealer to use under the color ? Reds,yellows and oranges tend to be somewhat transparent and the low cost brands even more so . You can make up individual test panels with gray , tan , red oxide and dark gary sealer, mix your color and spray each of the panels at the same time with the color and have 4 different end results. Most of the color spectrometers that are used to find a formula to match a specific color will give several formula options that are blendable color matches and usually will rank them in order of percentage of accuracy to the color sample. Even though this technology can sometimes hit the color on the head , you may have to tint the recommended color formula to match .
     
  19. 345winder
    Joined: Oct 27, 2010
    Posts: 1,059

    345winder
    BANNED

    no wonder it doesnt match... you are using PPG's cheapest line of paint...(and yellows regardless of line of paint) are sometimes tricky,,,alot of times yellows call for a white or light gray sealer underneath..

    i work in a paint store and deal with this everyday.,

    we try and educate our customers a lil bit about paint, the difference in paint lines, color match ,durability etc.. before just selling them something,

    we have a "scanner" to read paint, we use it a as TOOL, if you come in and dont know your paint code, and have no idea ,,then we use the "scanner" its a last resort if you will,,,,
    if those scanners were always %100 correct,,,there would be no reason to have paint codes on cars,, the best method ( and i know this is not your case, is to know the code, pull the chips , check for variants, spray out card and blend.)
    ,,but without knowing the code, about all you can do is scan it (or go through the fleet aint chip books) do a spray out card first and then see if it need to be tinted before you spray.
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2012
  20. plodge55aqua
    Joined: Jan 4, 2009
    Posts: 1,710

    plodge55aqua
    Member
    from Alberta

    Yellows for the most part are transparent.. Black primer underneath will change the effect.. Grey primer will give you better coverage.. also..air preasure will be a factor. did the Paint guy cut polish a spot to match the chip? do you have a paint left..? show the vehicle to the person that mixed the paint.. maybe he might be able to alter the color a bit to get it closer ..
     
  21. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

    75 bucks a qt on my junky jeep is enough

    They didn’t get the top of the line (red) PPG paint right last month either
     
  22. Also forgot to add . Adjusting or tint colors should be done in soft natural daylight (overcast daylight instead of bright sunny day ) for best results . Tinting under florescent ( except color corrected or daylight ), mercury vapor or other types of artificial light will add to the difficulty of the process since these lighting type don't replicate all of the color spectrums of natural daylight.
     
  23. 56Firedome
    Joined: Jun 23, 2010
    Posts: 74

    56Firedome
    Member

    You said you used black primer. It doesn't appear to have black primer under the paint on the rest of the vehicle. Looks light grey or white. This makes a big difference in colors like yellow and reds. The paint on the rest of the Jeep looks pretty old and faded. How do you expect to paint one panel on the Jeep and have a perfect match? The guy who mixes your paint can't add sun fading and age to your new paint. If you wanted it to match better you should have blended the base to the surrounding panels and clearcoated the whole ass of that Jeep.

    *edit* I just reread your post and saw that it's single stage paint. That makes it a little harder but you are still going to have to blend the panels for a good match.
     
  24. South_paw
    Joined: Aug 19, 2010
    Posts: 560

    South_paw
    Member
    from America

    Yellows are very difficult to match because they dry darker then it looks in the can. The matching process for a yellow takes a long time. You have to shade the paint and then let it dry to check it. It can easily take an hour + to match it.

    Another problem with yellows is that they do not cover well. Especially lower end finishes like shop line. Many times a undercoat will throw off a yellow color when applied. Example, we had a customer with a vette yellow. Customer couldn't get it to match, after many attempts we asked him if he was using a similar color primer to what is already on the car. The answer was no. We convinced him to re-prime the parts in the same color used on the car, sure enough, the color that didn't match now matched spot on.

    Back to the $150 for two quarts. Thats an economical price for yellow paint and there isn't a lot a profit to be made in color. Trust me. Lower end finishes are priced that way because the product isn't as refined as well. So in all fairness to the paint supplier, he is being asked to match a difficult color using paint that isn't refined to the highest levels. Nobody wins here, your not happy and the supplier isn't making any money on you if he has spent any time matching this color.

    A good idea has been mentioned in this thread. See if the supplier will sell you small amounts of the toners in the formula. This way you can tint it.

    PS, a JGA running off of a 5hp will work on small stuff. Solid colors you will be fine for the most part. I wouldn't use it on any metallic colors for more than a fender or two though.
     
  25. plodge55aqua
    Joined: Jan 4, 2009
    Posts: 1,710

    plodge55aqua
    Member
    from Alberta

    The amount of money for a litre of paint wont give you a better match.. just a better quality of paint.. Im a painter as Im sure there are quite a few on this board.. I dont know of one painter that can get a acceptable match right off the scale to the vehicle. most colors have to be tinted regardless of what color it is.. even Black these days .. Most body shops do spray out cards and High density lighting to show cast at different angles ..
     
  26. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

    Thanks for the reply’s
    Im done with this ..... got work to do
     
  27. Ob1
    Joined: Jan 21, 2010
    Posts: 411

    Ob1
    Member

    Paint variances are "pictures" of the paint at different times during the years that particular color is used. They are taken on new cars.

    They can be helpful to match new paint to older weathered paint, but "they" dont go out and make variances to match weathered paint.

    The OP states that it is OT car and not a standard color...not surprised the color is off.

    The color camera analyzes the picture and selects the closest match based on the colors already in the system. It does not generate a new formula. Example; I had an early 90's Honda mtc tank to paint, customer was on a budget. Rather than buy from colorrite, I used the camera. Camera said use a silver from a late 70's Ford. Matched perfectly! Luck as much as anything.
     
  28. Yes it works!
    We tried and tried to come up with the color for our 1974 GMC motor home.
    A good friend who is in the paint business came out with his color camera and we now have the color.:D
    The old color code was out dated and we could not find a match.
    If you are in So Ca go to Annex in Santa Ana Ca and ask for Vince Senik.
    Vince is one of the good guys and knows his paint.
     
  29. Rick Sis
    Joined: Nov 2, 2007
    Posts: 710

    Rick Sis
    Member
    from Tulsa OK

    Before the days of modern BC/CC systems, matching was a whole lot more difficult. Problems in matching a single stage paint should be expected, and part of the payback for saving some money to begin with. I would suggest saving a quart of the original mix when painting single stage.
     
  30. 59wood
    Joined: Jul 24, 2010
    Posts: 59

    59wood
    Member
    from Dago, CA

    To bad none of you guys live near me to offer my services to lend a helping hand for your color matching problem(s).. I've been in the automotive paint supply biz for over 25 years and I can relat to your color matching problems and needs. I'm not here to sound cocky but I'm good at what I do that others can't and not to many experianced color matchers out there. Theres a hand full of really good matchers out there but hard to find. I've been involved with Hot Rodders, Lowriders, Old School Bombs, Drag Cars and Restoration guys and also garage job hobbiest doing there personal projects and also Vinyl & Plastic color matching too..
    It is true that there are very difficult colors out there to match especially the old origenal colors but the key thing to matching colors is time and some customers don't understand that time is very important to color matching any if all colors whether be solid, metalic and even pearls..
    If any one needs any help, just drop me a PM and I will be more than willing to lend a helping hand to any questions that you may have.. I will even give you my # so that you can call me directly to help you out. I will give you my # only via PM and I hope to answer any question that you may have..
    Thanks for your time and good luck with your projects
     

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