Colouring matching car paint...........
Discussion
Is there anyway soembody can colour match car paint without knowing what the original colour was/is ?
I know you can take an example of something into a DIY store and they can scan in the colour and make some paint to match but can this be done with car paint somehow ?
I've got a car and I don't know what the colour is as its been resprayed some time ago.
I know you can take an example of something into a DIY store and they can scan in the colour and make some paint to match but can this be done with car paint somehow ?
I've got a car and I don't know what the colour is as its been resprayed some time ago.
Anatol said:
The machine in question is a spectrophotometer. You need a reasonably-sized sample of the paint (a fuel filler cap, or small piece of bike fairing is fine) and this is then scanned.
Some machines return the closest match from their pre-existing recipe database of factory reproduction colours, others will generate a one-off recipe.
There are varying levels of technology (and expense!) that give different results as regards things like particulates, match under different wavelengths of visible light, etc. It is _not_ the case of "get it scanned, you'll get a perfect matching paint". Perfect matches don't exist as a matter of science (see Wikipedia on "colour perception" and "metamerism" )
To this extent, the paintshop doing the reproduction gets what they paid for - so for a good all-round result, it'd be worth going somewhere with a more expensive spectrophotometer system.
Also, the manner and environment in which the new paint is applied WILL change the way it looks.
Which paint system is used for the new mix will also have an effect on accuracy.
And as a final complication, custom finishes can have unusual things like holographic flake, candy-tinted clearcoats, or other pretty, but impossible-to-precisely-replicate things in them.
Tol
Blimey, and there was me thinking I could get a tin down Halfords !!Some machines return the closest match from their pre-existing recipe database of factory reproduction colours, others will generate a one-off recipe.
There are varying levels of technology (and expense!) that give different results as regards things like particulates, match under different wavelengths of visible light, etc. It is _not_ the case of "get it scanned, you'll get a perfect matching paint". Perfect matches don't exist as a matter of science (see Wikipedia on "colour perception" and "metamerism" )
To this extent, the paintshop doing the reproduction gets what they paid for - so for a good all-round result, it'd be worth going somewhere with a more expensive spectrophotometer system.
Also, the manner and environment in which the new paint is applied WILL change the way it looks.
Which paint system is used for the new mix will also have an effect on accuracy.
And as a final complication, custom finishes can have unusual things like holographic flake, candy-tinted clearcoats, or other pretty, but impossible-to-precisely-replicate things in them.
Tol
Any idea how I go about tracking one of these people down or do I just have to phone up various paint shops and ask if they have a 'spectrothningymebob' ?
Or is there a fedreation or association of 'good paint matching people' ?
shouldbworking said:
Is it the ginetta? if so I suppose itd be too hopeful that itd have been done in the original colour? http://www.g33.co.uk/paint_codes.htm
No such luck, its been repainted at some point in its life and although the owner I bought it off told me the colour I'm not so sure !! Mind you thats with aerosol tins and touch up sticks so for a metalic colour i'm never going to get a great match.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff