A customer's comment about my paint match made me rethink my blending process

They said the fender I repaired looked 'like a different color in the afternoon sun.' I started spraying my blend panels out in the open bay light instead of just under the booth lamps. Has anyone else found a better way to check for metamerism before final clear?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor_mitchell801d ago

My old boss at the Eastside shop had a trick for this. He'd mix a bit of the color and spray it on a small metal card. We'd walk it outside and hold it next to the car at different angles. It was a real eye-opener, especially with some of those tri-coat whites. The booth lights just don't show the flip like real sunlight does.

marywells1d ago

That metal card trick is honestly genius. I mean, I've tried to eyeball it in the booth before and ended up with a panel that looked totally different once we pushed it out the door. Felt like a real idiot that day. What @kaib18 said about the work light makes sense too, like a decent backup plan for when the weather's bad. Maybe it's just me, but nothing beats actual sunlight for showing how a color really acts.

kaib181d ago

I read somewhere that some shops keep a cheap fluorescent work light in the booth to check for that weird color shift. It's not as good as real sun but it can catch some problems before you roll the car out. Might be worth a try if you can't always get outside.

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