color matching
Full-Service Auto Solutions Under One Roof
If your car has been damaged in an accident or experiences normal wear and tear, our team can color-match and paint the vehicle to help it look brand new. Our team at Layton Carcare understands the color-matching and painting process for vehicles, helping our customers love their car again. We are trained by Sherwin-Williams, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair. No matter the amount of damage that your car or truck has experienced, we can help match and cover up damage to improve the overall value of the vehicle.
For older vehicles, the specific color may no longer be manufactured, so auto experts will need to work with multiple colors to custom-match your vehicle. Automotive paint can be mixed and altered to the perfect match, so no one will notice that you have had paint work done.
What Should You Know About Automotive Paint?
Modern automotive paint systems are complex and may need multiple layers, a mix of colors, and proper primers in order to have the best appearance possible. Automotive paint is a mix of pigment, resin, and solvent, all of which determine the durability of the paint and the overall color and shine.
Pigment comes in a powder form and needs to be mixed correctly with your resin and solvent to achieve the desired color. More pigments and toners may be needed to create a perfect match on any vehicle.
Resin is needed to ensure that the paint is durable and makes the color go on smoothly. The proper resin mix is essential for auto painting because vehicles are constantly exposed to different weather conditions and debris. Specific automotive resins and solvents need to be used to ensure that it doesn’t fade or become scratched easily.
Steps Involved In Color Matching
Every car has a specific color code that is listed inside the vehicle, unless it was custom-painted after purchasing. Layton Carcare looks for this paint code or will reach out to your past shop to learn what paint code they used for your car.
This code will help us look in our mixing system to see if you have the right pigments and toners needed to create optimal color matching. Even a specific color has a variety of variations, so we will need to look at multiple formulas to find the perfect match. Hues can vary in light and darkness, brightness, and have different undertones that change how the color looks in certain lights.
Once the paint is ready to be applied, we use a technique called blending, which puts full coverage over the damaged areas and then additional coats that spread farther outward to help the layers blend together. These additional layers will help trick the eye from picking up on any slight color variations or past imperfections. A final clear coat will be placed over the entire car to help everything blend and prevent future damage.
Working With Layton Carcare
Layton Carcare offers many services to help keep your car looking and operating its best. Our team specializes in a variety of makes and models, allowing us to serve a variety of local customers to keep them safe on the road. We take pride in the quality of work we provide and stand behind our work 100 percent. In addition to helping you deal with auto repair stress, we work with most insurance companies to help ensure they cover the costs of repairs or necessary tune-ups. Car problems can disrupt your daily life dramatically, so having a shop you trust is essential for those unplanned car problems. Reach out to us to learn more and schedule an appointment.
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How long does the color-matching and painting process typically take?
The timeline varies depending on the extent of the damage and the complexity of the paint code. A minor touch-up and blend on a single panel can often be completed in a few days, while extensive damage or rare, custom color-matching for older vehicles may take longer. Our team at Layton Carcare prioritizes both precision and efficiency to get you safely back on the road as quickly as possible.
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Will my car’s new paint match perfectly if the original paint has faded from the sun?
Yes. Even though a vehicle’s factory paint code tells us the original color, sun exposure and weather can fade that color over time. Our Sherwin-Williams-trained technicians don’t just rely on the factory code; we analyze the current state of your vehicle’s paint, alter the formulas, and use specialized blending techniques to ensure the new paint seamlessly matches the naturally aged look of the rest of your car./