Learn How To Choose A New Car Paint Color Using Paint Color Chips And Automotive Paint Codes

Want a Visually Appealing and In Style Paint Job (Part 2)?

Discover How to Choose Between the 1000’s of New Car Paint Colors using Paint Color Chips and Automotive Paint Codes Plus Custom Paint Finishes that are Metallic Paints and Pearl.

Toyota IS Spectra Blue Paint
Toyota IS Spectra Blue Paint

Choosing between new car paint colors for a complete color re-spray might not be quite such a straightforward task.

You will no longer be able to simply walk into an auto paint supply store and ask for a tin of ‘blue’ paint, there are too many shades of blue to choose from for that; you will need to be much more specific.

You will need to pick out certain paint color chips from any number of color catalogs or have specific automotive paint codes available to hand.

Indeed most other car paint colors have as many shade variations, so either way you will have to be prepared.

  1. One way which may help you decide between the many hundreds of different car paint colors is to visit your local automobile dealerships.

When you find a vehicle with a color scheme that you like, take note of any automotive paint codes and take them to your local auto paint supply store where the staff there should be able to match the color(s).

  1. In place of actual automotive paint codes, proper paint mixing formulas may be located on computer files with the year, make and model of mostly any newer vehicle.

You will be able to confirm particular car paint colors by comparing this information with the corresponding paint color chips from paint color catalogs.

Custom Paint Finishes

Along with choosing between new car paint colors, you may want to investigate special custom paint additives.

Metallic Paints

Metallic paints has improved since their culmination in the 1960s. Now, instead of large, bold flakes giving prominence to car bodywork, you can add doses of tiny metallic flakes to make otherwise bland car colors light up to magnificent and brilliant finishes.

You may have seen a new car paint finish include tiny metallic flakes, this is quite common among a large number of newer vehicles. Metallic paints are often available as an optional extra on the base price of the vehicle.

You can see metallic spray paint finishes firsthand on vehicles at almost any new car dealership or on paint color chips at auto paint supply stores.

Pearlescent Paint

Pearlescent paint additives are another means by which you can make a solid color look customized.

In the past, auto painters would use fish scales to give stock car paint colors a pearlescent appearance, making them look different shades when viewed from different angles.

Essentially, a vehicle that might appear yellow when viewed straight on, may offer an orange shade when seen from a slightly different angle.

The pearlescent paint additives of today are made by applying oxide pigments to micaceous iron oxide (mica) or aluminum. These tiny chips are painted on one side, while remaining clear on the other.

Depending on the pearl color selected and the angle of light reflection from a standing viewpoint, these paint jobs can offer truly unique appearances.

With improvements in pearlescent paint products and stricter standards, they are now easier to blend for spot paint repairs compared with a few years ago.

In the past, it used to be that manufacturers would often advise auto painters to repaint the entire affected side of the vehicle from front to back.

This was so each panel would display identical color shades from all directions and not cause varying degrees between panels or parts of panels.

Remember that if you do ever venture into using a pearlescent paint finish, the finish must without doubt be coated with clear coat auto paint for long-term color durability.

Talk paints
Let’s talk paints within the VIP course.

I hope you liked this blog.  If you haven’t read the first part of this blog, check it out.  We talk more about how to choose a new car paint color for your project.

Talk soon!  Cheers!

-Tony

P.S.  If you want to learn more, about auto body and get all the information you need so you can customize your projects, learn how to restore your classic or put a body kit on your car, check out VIP here:  LearnAutoBodyAndPaint VIP Course.

Other Helpful Links:

Learn How To Select The Best Car Paint Color And How To Match The Old Car Paint

Learn How To Do A Complete Color Change Car Paint Job Including Auto Trim Removal

Automotive Paint Mixing Ratios – How To Mix Auto Paint – Mixing Car Paint

How To Paint a Car – Auto Bodywork 101 Part 1

Correct Sandpaper Grit You Should Sand Your Car With – Before Paint!

1 thought on “Learn How To Choose A New Car Paint Color Using Paint Color Chips And Automotive Paint Codes”

  1. Thanks for your suggestion to visit local car dealerships to get ideas for what colors you might want to repaint your car. My car is getting pretty old, and it’s about time to get it a new paint job. I think it’d be fun to change the color up, so maybe I can look around at a dealership to get some inspiration before I take my car to a professional to get it painted.

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