Let Us Help You Make Your Car Paint Look New Again
Several hundred thousand customers have already repaired their auto paint using touch up paint kits fromPaintScratch.com. We take pride in offering the highest quality car paints and great customer service so thatyour car paint repair will be successful. We’re happy to answer any questions, and our scratch repair expertswill gladly help you learn how to repair your car paint.
Get your car paint repair started by clicking your vehicle make in the list above.
Need paint for another vehicle? Find it here.
Clean The External Surface
The first step in smoothing out your rough touch up paint is simply cleaning the surface of the car. We want to remove all dirt and dust that might prevent us from doing a good job in the following steps.
If there is dirt left on the car before the next steps, it could cause further scratches and make your job more difficult. Use soap, water, and a sponge or microfiber cloth to wipe the area clean. After that, use a dry microfiber cloth to remove all the moisture.
After youve finished cleaning, inspect the area for any tiny grains of dirt or dust. If there are any remaining, repeat the process until the area is completely free of contaminants.
Inspired To Clean Your Car Even More
If your new paint job inspires you to go all out, be sure to check Autowises Car Cleaning & Maintenence tips. Learn How To Disinfect Your Car, How To Remove Tree Sap From Your Car, and, even, How To Get Cigarette Smell Out Of Your Car.
For added protection after touching up your car paint, you can also go for some extra credit by protecting your car paint with the best possible products.
Also Check: Can You Spray Paint Glass
Where Do I Get Touch Up Paint
You can purchase touch up paint at your local auto parts shop. Sometimes, you can also purchase it at the car dealership. More common colors should be readily available. Just make sure you have your correct color code on hand. If your car color is more unique, you may need to call ahead to verify that the store has it in stock. If they dont, they might need to order it in.
Never order a generic color for your touch-up paint! With that, you run the risk of it not matching your cars original paint color at all.
Metallic Car Paint Colors
Often the color description will help you find your color. Say youhave Garnet Red and Red Metallic and these are the only two reds shown foryour vehicle. If you know your vehicle has metallic paint then the Red Metallic wouldprobably be your color. If you don’t have metallic paint, the Garnet Redwould be your color. Again, to be absolutely sure, check the color code onyour vehicle.
You May Like: Xpel Paint Protection Film Cost
Matching Your Car’s Paint Color
It is impossible to exactly match metallic colors for several reasons.One, metallics look very different brushed versus sprayed. Second, colorsfade over time, especially the reds and any color with red in it likegold. However, since you are only repairing small scratches, this shouldnot be too much of an issue as long as it the color is reasonably close.
How To Fix Auto Paint
So your car paint was just damaged and that nice auto paint job is suddenly not looking so good anymore. You wantto repair your car’s paint before people notice and it starts to rust, but what are your options for paintrepair?
- Leave the car’s paint alone? Not a good choice for those who care about their auto paint.
- Go to the auto body shop? Maybe they’ll do a good paint repair, but it will probably costyou hundreds of dollars.
- Learn how to repair your car’s paint with touch up paint? The best car paint repair optionfor drivers who want to restore car paint affordably. It is easy to get great results with our car paintrepair kits.
Read Also: How To Price Acrylic Paintings
The Most Effective Way To Smooth Out Touch Up Paint
All of the methods we outlined above are great DIY ways to smooth out touch up paint on your car. But the most effective way to ensure your paint job looks like new is letting the professionals take care of it. After all, your local paint and body shop has tools, experience, and the know-how to repair even the roughest paint patches.
A professional touch up job wont break the bank. For a reasonable price, you can know that your car will leave the shop looking as good as new with no workor stresson your end. If youve got a seriously stubborn patch of touch up paint, hire an experienced professional to smooth it out for you!
How To Smooth Out Touch Up Paint On Car A Step By Step Guide
Its quite common for small rocks to hit your car or for other cars to leave minor scratches in your paint job in case of minor collisions. When this happens, it can be scary and make you feel discouraged about your cars appearance.
If you plan to sell your car, it is especially important for the paint job to be absolutely perfect. Any dings or imperfections will lower the value of your car.
Minor dings and scratches often appear on our cars for no apparent reason. Whether youve just bought a new car or had yours for years, it can be upsetting to have your perfect paint job damaged. You might think that simply applying touch-up paint will solve the problem. But even then, you might have a bumpy surface or chips of paint hanging off. This doesnt look nice and may discourage you.
Have no fear, this article will walk you through how to smooth out touch-up paint without damaging your car!
To smooth out touch-up paint on your car, first clean the car using soap, water, and a sponge, and finally wipe it dry with a microfiber cloth. Next, remove the excess paint using rubbing alcohol. Then sand the area and apply rubbing compound. Finally, buff and wax the car to make it look as good as new.
Before we get into the steps, make sure that you are choosing an appropriate day for working on your car. Working in the rain is no fun, and working in the hot sun can make it difficult to use some of the products well be using in this guide.
Read Also: How To Fix Paint Chip On Car
Where Do You Find The Car Color Code On A Car
First off, your cars color code is typically three to six characters long, containing both letters and numbers. Typically the color code is at the bottom of the drivers side door jamb, the bottom right of the windshield next to the VIN number, or in the glove box. Sometimes, it is in the inside of the car hood or on the passenger side sun visor.
You dont want to just go off the name of the color of your car because that color will vary from year to year. The only way to guarantee that you purchase the right color is by identifying your cars exact color code.
If you cant seem to find it in any of those places, contact your dealer, and they should be able to help you out.
How Do I Get Rid Of Deep Scratches On My Car
You can take your vehicle to a body shop to fix deep scratches on your car, but this is costly. A car paint pen can work as a DIY scratch remover if the scratch doesnt cover too big of an area and you take time to apply the paint pen properly. Fixing a deep car paint scratch with a paint pen involves sanding the scratch, applying a primer, applying paint, sanding the area smooth, applying the clear coat, and buffing the result. A lot of sanding with fine-grit sandpaper may be necessary to achieve a high-quality fix.
*Data accurate at time of publication.
You May Like: Green Kitchen Paint Color Ideas
Easiest To Use: Dr Colorchip Automotive Touch
The Dr. ColorChip Automotive Touch-Up Paint System includes everything you need to restore automotive paint. While not a single paint pen, it performs the same function and does it well. This product is terrific for beginners since the included blending solution leaves more room for errors.
| Overall Rating |
|---|
- Includes paint, blending solution, three paint brushes, a glove, a towel, and a blending cloth
Applicators And Kits For All Your Touch Up Projects
Our colors are right out of the manufacturers books! All you have to do is find the color code on your vehicle and we can get you the exact shade of paint that youll need.
Combo
- The Combos versatility makes it the right tool if youre unsure of the extent of the damage.
- Each Combo is filled with 0.35 oz. of our low-VOC touch up paint.
Aerosol
- The Aerosol’s rotatable nozzle creates a smooth fan pattern good for bumper repairs, mirrors, and other large panels.
- Each Aerosol is filled with our low-VOC touch up paint
Also Check: Best Exterior Sherwin Williams Paint
Use Polish On The Area
After applying the rubbing compound, youll want to polish the area with car polish. It is a process very similar to working with the compound, but this time youll take a dry rag and apply the polish to it.
Then youll rub it in circles and wipe it off before it dries. It may take a few repetitions of this process to fully polish the area, so feel free to follow the instructions a few times.
Apply Paint To The Chipped Area
Now, for the actual painting! While there isnt much creative freedom in touching up car paint, patience and precision are the keys to success.
Apply the paint to the chipped area using a fine-tip paintbrush. Dab a single drop of paint into the chipped area, slowly covering it. Only use enough paint to cover the chip, avoiding getting it on the surrounding area. After painting, the spot will look slightly elevated compared to the surrounding area that is okay and to be expected. When you sand the touched-up area in a few days, you will smooth this surface down.
You will likely need to repeat this process and paint 2-3 coats on the area. It is essential that you wait at least an hour between each coat.
After you have applied 2-3 coats of paint, you are done for the day. The rest of the process for touching up car paint, outlined in steps 3-5, will take place 24 hours later.
Also Check: How To Remove Paint From Concrete Porch
Automotive Touchup And Spray Paint
Small dings, scratches, and chips spoil the looks of the nicest auto paint jobs, but you dont have to put up with them. Take action by enlisting the help of an automotive touch-up paint kit. Touch-up paint kits include the tools you need to make your cars blemishes go away.
What tools do most touch-up kits contain?
Auto re-touch paint kits hold the ingredients needed to seamlessly blend away ugly scratches, scrapes, and dings. These kits contain the parts you need to heal serious blemishes as well as minor flaws. Included in this list are clearcoat paint, primer, compound, wax/grease removers, cleaning wipes, sandpaper, painting tape, and tack cloth.
Why is the primer important?
Much like building a house, performing a good paint job requires first laying a sound foundation. Undercoat paint provides such a foundation for the rest of the re-touch kit components. It does this by bonding with, weatherproofing, and coating the surface of the base materials. Once the undercoat sets, you can apply paint and clearcoat.
What kit size do you need?
The re-touch kit size that you need depends on the size of your task. Smaller nicks or scrapes need less attention than big chips and scratches. Luckily, touch up kit makers package these kits in user-friendly sizes, and all you have to do is choose the right package-size.
Why is clear-coat a key component?Is it easy to match paint colors?
Use Rubbing Compound On The Area
The next step is to apply rubbing compound to the area. You have to be very careful when using rubbing compound, as it can damage your cars paint job. The most important thing is to never let it dry on your car.
Youll want to take a wet rag and dip it in a little bit of rubbing compound. Then, using the same circular motion as you did with the sandpaper, rub it onto the area. You can still have the masking tape on your car at this point.
After you rub it in for about 20-30 seconds, take a dry rag and wipe it completely off your car. The surface of your car should look more glossy, closer to the original paint job.
You May Like: How To Paint Unfinished Cabinets
S For Touching Up Car Paint:
Now, you are ready for the actual touching up process! While this first step may feel tedious, spend the time to thoroughly prep the affected area is vital to ensure an effective and long-lasting result. Take your time with the steps below. This process will require patience and precision. But, as we have outlined exactly how to do it, you dont need to worry. Set aside a weekend. Open up that garage. We got you!
Does Touch Up Paint Last
In order to get the longest-lasting touch-up job, make sure to closely follow all of the steps. By adding multiple thin layers of both the touch-up paint and the clear coat, the car touch-up paint job should last.
Ensuring the surface of your car is completely clean, maintaining the surface smoothness throughout the process with sandpaper, applying the paint properly, and making certain you have the correct paint color will all give you a professional-quality car touch-up paint job.
Don’t Miss: How To Paint High Ceilings
Optional: If Needed Apply Primer On Chipped Area
In most cases, applying a primer is not needed. But if the chip is very deep, go ahead and apply primer. Apply the primer ONLY if the chip reaches metal new paint does not adhere to metal so the primer will ensure your touch-up paint sticks. Squeeze a small amount of the primer onto the area. Using a small, fine-tip brush, gently cover the metal area with a thin coat. Then, wait for the primer to dry. It is important to only put the primer onto the chipped area, as it could potentially damage the finish of the car in the surrounding area. If the primer does get on the surrounding area, wipe it off immediately.
As an alternative to the primer, rust arrester also works for this step. If you opt to use both a rust arrestor and primer, make sure to use the rust arrestor BEFORE the primer.
Car Paint Pen Buyers Guide
The first step to finding the right car paint pen is determining the color you will need. Most vehicles have a paint color code an alphanumeric string of characters that refers to the paints exact tone and shade. This codes location will depend on your vehicles make and model. Typical places to find this code are:
- Inside the glove box
- In the drivers-side doorjamb
- Under the drivers seat
- On the passengers sun visor
Once youve determined your color code, you can begin searching for the correct car paint pen. Bear in mind that some vehicles have multistage paint, which means youll need a multistage paint pen to achieve the exact color of your factory paint. You might consider a primer as well as a clear coat. Some paint pens, including a few we recommend, have a built-in primer, base coat, and clear coat.
Before applying any car paint pen, clean the area thoroughly with a grease remover. We also recommend sanding the area to prepare it for paint. Youll then apply primer, body color, and clear coat in that order.
We suggest purchasing a lacquer thinner to help wipe mistakes away. Dr. ColorChip includes a lacquer thinner with its products.
Also Check: Sherwin Williams Masonry Paint Exterior
Touch Up Car Paint Yourself With These Methods
If the chips are generally small, with the proper supplies and technique, you can touch up your cars paint. The process is rather time-consuming, but the end result is worthwhile. Not only will touching up your car paint make it look better, but it will also protect your car from future corrosion.
Well walk you through how to touch up car paint here. Youll learn about the best products, and, most importantly, the necessary methods in order to prevent further damage.
Below, you will find the steps on how to touch up car paint. We separated the process into two categories. First, there is a list on how to prepare the area for touching up the car. Then, there is a list of the actual process of touching up the paint.
Two Tone Auto Paint Colors
Two Tone colors will be listed as follows in the database. We haveshown a two-tone color combination which includes a regular two tone colorcombination and one which includes a “Unpainted” color justto explain what these are.
If you have thefirst two-tone combination, the actual paint code on your vehicle will bethe 8W2 and you will not see the paint codes 64C or 49Blisted anywhere on your vehicle. You have to determine by looking at thecolor shown on the screen which to order. In almost all cases, it’s prettyobvious which color you need to order. In the case below, if you want toorder the green portion, you would click next to the color listed as GreenMetallic Clearcoat and if you wanted the Slate, you wouldclick on the box for the Slate Gray Metallic Clearcoat .Again, your color code on your car will be 8W2
In the second case,if your vehicle color code is 8J6, the only color you can order iscolor code 792 as the other two-tone part of the car is unpaintedand is probably a plastic part.
| Color |
Recommended Reading: Parking Near Ppg Paints Arena