Touch up paint has been saving powder coaters & manufacturers time, resources, & money. Whether it is fixing common powder coating problems like hook marks & hard to reach areas or scratch marks cause by transportation & handling, touch up paint is the quickest solution to the problem. Even though touch up paint can save you from having to re coat your products again, there are some facts and limitations that you should know that will help you choose the correct product for your application.
What Is Touch Up Paint Typically Made Up Of?
The most common paint touch up paint manufacturers use today is an Acrylic Enamel paint. This paint is most commonly used because it does a great job of preventing rust plus it is a fast air drying paint that typically takes 15-30 minutes to dry, 1-2 hours to handle and 7 days to fully cure. The gloss and color retention when exposed to the sun typically holds up at the same rate as what powder coating does given that the resin is not a super durable. This is approximately 5% a year until the gloss level reaches 20%.
What Are The 2 Types Of Matches?
Color Standard Match: One of the most common color standards used by powder coaters is the RAL Standard. Powder coating manufacturers & touch up paint companies will try their absolute best to manufacture an exact match to this color standard using different materials. Even though both materials are intended to match each other, this does not account for the different type of circumstances they might encounter when being applied together.
Custom Paint Match: A custom paint match is when a color
is manufactured based upon a sample provided to the touch up paint manufacturer.
A touch up paint company will try their absolute best to match both gloss and
color of the sample provided given the sample might have a great variance in
surface color, surface texture, film thickness, gloss level, and material
composition.
What Are The Factors That Go Against A Match?
There are a lot of factors that go against manufacturing a color
but with the technology we have today, we can match colors to the point the
human eye can’t detect a difference. Below are 7 variables that effect the way
a color match will turn out.
Materials: The greatest factor that comes into play
is the materials used to make the color. For example; powder coating consists
of a solid powder being liquefied onto a metal substrate then being converted
back into a solid essentially forming a hard plastic film. The materials used
to match a color are completely different than the conventional touch up paint.
Knowing this factor, there will always be a slight variance in the look of the
2 finishes.
Gloss: Color Gloss is the level of reflection a color
gives off at a 60 degree angle. The level of gloss is measured in % with a
gloss meter with 100% being the shiniest and 0% being the dullest. Here are
some common terms used when deciding gloss level:
High Gloss 85+%
Full Gloss or Glossy 75-85%
Semi Gloss 50-75%
Satin 30-50%
Matte or Eggshell 20-30%
Flat 0-20%
Metallic: Metallic colors are one of the hardest colors to match. This is mainly because the metallic flakes will cause the actual color to appear light or darker depending on the angle the metallic flakes lay, what angle you look at the finish, and how the light is reflecting off the finish. This is why touch up paint manufactured for a powder coated metallic finish will not match at certain angles but it is the best option without having to redo the entire piece.
Metamerism Effect: This can be defined when 2 colored samples appear to be the same shade under one light source but appear to be different shades under a second source. This is a battle all touch up paint and powder coating manufacturers face when formulating a color.
Surface Color: The color of the surface or what we refer
to as substrate that you are painting on will have an impact on the color. This
is commonly known as the bleed threw effect. If the surface you are painting on
is darker than the paint you are applying, this will cause the paint to appear
darker than it actually is. This would be opposite if you were to paint on a
lighter surface.
Surface Texture: Textured finishes can cause a color
to appear duller and darker compared to having a traditional smooth glossy
finish. This is cause by light reflecting off the textured surface giving a
shadow like effect. Touch up paint cannot simulate this effect in an aerosol
can without having a 2 part system. This makes Surface Texture the 2nd hardest
factor when color matching paint.
Film Thickness: Film Thickness is the amount of paint
that separates the surface substrate to the outside finish layer of paint. This
layer is measured by a gauge using Mil thickness instrument. It is recommended
to have a good Mil thickness to help separate the earths natural elements water
and oxygen from reaching the unprotected metal causing rust. Film Thickness can
also be tied back to surface color and gloss level. In order to completely
remove bleed threw, you need a good 1-2mil film thickness to combat this
effect. When using a paint that has a gloss level under <85%, multiple coats
can increase the gloss level by upwards of 10%+.
The
Conclusion
When it comes down to hook marks, hard to reach areas, or scratch marks cause by transportation & handling, touch up paint is your number 1 fix without having to recoat the entire job again. When choosing what type of color match you would like to go with, the Color Standard Match is a great option but it doesn't necessarily account for all of the factors above which could lead to the touch up paint coming out slightly different than the painted surface that is supposedly the exact same color. Ultimately the best way to get a color match is to match a sample that the paint is going to be applied too. This takes out a lot of factors going against a color match. The only down side is that custom paint matches typically require a minimum order sizes by most touch up paint manufacturers. This is why a color standard match can be a great alternative depending on your application.
Looking to learn more about custom matched touch up paint?
Email: [email protected]
11078
Morrison Ln
Dallas, TX
75229
(972)
364-7839
