Understanding Color Representations and Codes
When selecting touch-up paint for your car, it’s important to recognize that colors displayed on our website serve as general guides. Due to variations in computer screen settings and lighting conditions, the actual paint color on your vehicle may appear differently.
Key Steps to Ensure Accurate Color Matching
- Verify Your Car’s Color Code: This is the crucial first step to ensure you are ordering the correct color. Your car’s color code can be found on a color ID tag in areas such as the door jamb, under the hood, or in the trunk. We offer detailed instructions on how to locate this code for various vehicle makes and years.
- Understand Color Variations: Even with the correct color code, slight variations in shade can occur. Factors like viewing angle can alter the perception of metallic paints, and the age of your car can cause colors to fade or change.
Challenges with Paint Names and Codes
- Color Code vs. Color Name: Sometimes manufacturers change the names of colors, but the codes remain the same. For example, “Jewel Green Metallic Clearcoat” and “Emerald Green Metallic Clearcoat” may be listed under the same code ‘PA’. Always use the color code as your reference when ordering to avoid discrepancies caused by name changes.
- Metallic Car Paint Color Names: Often the color description will help you find your color. If you see “Garnet Red” and “Red Metallic” as the only two red color choices for your vehicle, and your vehicle has metallic paint, then “Red Metallic” would likely be your color. If it doesn’t have metallic paint, “Garnet Red” would be more appropriate. To be absolutely sure, always check the color code on your vehicle.
Tri-Coat Car Paints
If your vehicle’s color name contains the words Tri-Coat, Tricoat, or Tri Coat, it involves three different paint coats applied at the factory. When you order Tri-coat paint from PaintScratch, you will receive the necessary midcoat paint along with the other components.
Ordering Tips
- Testing Before Full Application: If unsure about the color match, we recommend ordering a small quantity of paint to test on your vehicle first. This approach is particularly advisable for older vehicles where the paint may have significantly faded.
Questions & Answers
Question: I found the paint code on your site, but the name of the paint is different. Is this the same paint?
Answer: This is a common question. Paint names can change, but if your color code matches, that is the correct paint. For example, if your vehicle’s plate says “YR-509M” and our site lists it as “Granite Silver Metallic Clearcoat” for YR-509M, this is your correct color. The name of the paint is less important than the color code.
Question: I found my color code on your site, but the color shown doesn’t look right. Do I have the wrong color?
Answer: If your color code matches the one shown on the screen, you have the right color. We mix the paint by the formula associated with the color code, not by how the color appears on the screen. For many exotic vehicles and some colors prior to 1980, no color chips are available, so what you see on the screen is our best estimation.