Color matching: A guide to blending and tinting 

Colour sells. Vehicle colours may evoke emotions or convey the personality of the owner. Vehicle makers utilize colour to target specific demographics, follow trends, increase safety, and many other reasons. 

The complexity of automotive colours is a daily challenge faced by collision repairers. Why does a shop have to colour match? What tools and techniques do collision repair facilities have to address colour challenges? What are the operations associated with colour matching? If the colour is tinted, does it need to be blended? 

Colour matching is done on every vehicle that comes into the collision repair facility, even black. There are multiple factors that explain why we must colour match and why the standard formula is not always the answer. These factors include: 

• Vehicle maker manufacturing variances during paint application 

• Different production locations and different paint suppliers 

• Colour variants not yet identified by the paint makers 

• Weathering of the vehicle finish 

• Previously repaired panels 

• Pigment availability for vehicle makers vs. collision repairer facilities 

Collision repair facilities have a few resources to aid in colour matching; these include: 

• Colour chips arranged by colour family or vehicle colour code 

• Spectrophotometer (colour camera) 

• User-created spray out panels 

• Paint maker or distributor technical representatives 

Colour matching operations include: 

• Blending: The technique of extending the basecoat colour into an area or panel adjacent to the repair to allow some of the original vehicle colour to show through the refinish colour. Blending deceives the eye into seeing only one colour rather than two separate colours. 

• Tinting: Changing the appearance of a colour by adding small amounts of toner, or toners, to the original formula. 

• Drop coat, half-coat, or orientation coat: a light mist coat used when spraying metallics and pearls to ensure that the metallic or mica flakes are properly oriented. 

Other considerations that may change colour include: 

• Spray gun technique and air pressure 

• Basecoat mixing ratios and solvent selection 

• Environmental, such as temperature or humidity 

Blending can never take the place of tinting to correct for an unacceptable colour match. There are reasons for doing each process, and one cannot be substituted for the other. 

To learn more about the intricacies behind colour matching and blending, visit the I-CAR Canada course catalogue and sign up for refinishing courses today.