Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a spray-out?
A. A sprayout is the very most important thing you can do before painting your vehicle. It helps determine how much paint you need, how to apply the paint, and gives you a feel for using the paint. You cannot expect good results without first doing a sprayout.

A sprayout is simply testing the color before you apply it to the actual repair job. If you are using a touch-up pen, just test the color on a piece of scrap you may have lying around. If the color takes a base color, test the entire application. Make sure you feel comfortable before attempting the actual repair.

If you are using any method of spraying the color, test the color on a sprayout card or on anything that you can accurately see the color. A piece of scrap metal is perfect for this if you do not have access to a spray-out card.

If you are sending your parts and paint to a body shop, make sure they are willing to do a sprayout. Any body shop worth its weight will automatically perform a sprayout, but make sure they do it. Also, bring them a part of the vehicle with you so that they can obtain a proper match when they do the spraying. A body shop cannot be expected to match a color when they do not know what it looks like.

Q. Who makes your paint?
A.  We make our own.

Q. Why do I have to take a sample to my body shop?
A. A body shop has to have a sample to match to because there are so many variables when painting. Spray gun pressure, type of spray gun, atmospheric conditions, and many other things can affect painting. A sample is needed to obtain the closest possible match.

Q. Why is my color a “Factory Variance Color”?
A. Production colors can vary from one assembly plant to another and from one application system to another. ColorRite paints have been formulated to match a factory batch standard supplied to us by the manufacturer. Occasionally, the batch standard will vary slightly from the actual production color.

This situation is most common with silvers and yellows. Silvers can vary due to the high metallic content and the way the metallic lays. This can make a silver seem lighter or darker depending on the condition. Yellows are all slightly transparent so the color can vary depending on the amount of yellow coats applied. Too few coats and the color will look greenish. You can really not apply too many yellow coats.

There are other colors that are “Factory Variance Colors” also. These, along with above mentioned examples, are a result of when a color has been upgraded or altered from the original. Unfortunately, the manufactures are not necessarily aware of this change and therefore, the color name or code is not changed. This results in two similar, but different colors with the same name and code.

The good news is that ColorRite does track the colors by year and model to try to eliminate the confusion created by variance colors. That is one reason it is so important to have the exact year, make and model when ordering.

Factory Variance Colors are also another great reason to do a sprayout.

Q. My color says it requires a base. Do I really need the base and what exactly is a “base”?
A. Many people confuse the “base” color for a primer. Nothing could be further from the actual facts. The base color is part of the color structure and is absolutely essential to achieve a color match. Your color will simply not match with out the base. We try to avoid using special bases if at all possible. However, if we determine that your color requires a base, you definitely need it to obtain the correct color.

Q. How do I know if my color requires a base (tri-stage)?
A.  All tri-stage colors are indicated in the color description and also in the price.

Q. What is meant by compatibility?
A. ColorRite has extensive research and development time involved in producing our product line. Every color is made of a urethane basecoat/clearcoat application using the latest in paint technology. Therefore it is imperative to use only ColorRite products together to create the highest quality results possible. Use of other brand products can result in dull backs, adhesion loss, wrinkling, or poor surface conditions.

Q. My body shop has clearcoat and reducer, why do I need yours?
A. This question is directly related to the above compatibility question. If you use the wrong products, there is an excellent chance you will have problems. These problems may occur immediately or worse, down the road a couple months. It’s not uncommon for incompatible products to look like they are working correctly, but result in crazing or cracking in a few months time.

ColorRite has specifically developed a clear coat that is high in solids to obtain the best possible finish while achieving unmatched durability. Our clear is competitively priced also. There is no substantial savings to using another brand clear when the right product is available and affordable.

The same holds true for our reducer also.

Q. What are reducer/reduction ratios?
A. The reducer or reduction ratio is simply the amount of reducer that is used with the amount of paint. You need reducer to “thin” the paint so it can be sprayed through a gun. The correct ratio is normally around 1:1; one part paint to one part reducer. However, some colors are thicker than others and require a little more reducer. The maximum reduction would be about 1:1 1/3; one part paint to 1 1/3 part reducer.

The opposite holds true also. Some colors such as candy colors are very thin and require less reducer. The minimum reduction ratio would be 1:3/4; one part paint to three quarters part reducer.

This is just a basic guideline. Actual reduction ratios should be determined during the sprayout.

Q. Can I sand between color coats?
A. NO! Do not sand between color coats. The result will be disastrous at best. The paint actually bonds with the clearcoat when it is drying. This bond is what makes the paint cure. If sanding is done between coats, the clearcoat will not bond correctly and the paintjob will be effectively ruined.

 Q. What are your paints made of?
A.  All of our products are urethane based, base-coat/clear-coat applications. Our paints have been thoroughly tested and are as good as or better than O.E.M. quality standards

Q. Is it necessary to use clear-coat?
A.  Absolutely, clearcoat is very important for multiple reasons. First of all, it makes the paint shine. Second, the clear actually creates a chemical bond with the base color that makes it chemical and weather resistant. Without clear-coat, your paint will not shine properly or be nearly as resilient as it should be

Q. I noticed that point of the touch up pen is removable why?
A.  You can take the tip out and clean it with thinner. This way the pen is good to use for years.

Q. How long will my paint last?
A.  If you are referring to the storage of the paint after use, it will last a long time. Typically, a touch-up pen lasts approximately 7 years. The aerosols and professional packaging typically will last 3-5 years if properly stored.

Q. Do I need a touch-up applicator or an aerosol can to do my job?
A.  It all depends on what you are repairing and how large of area you are repairing. If you have a minor nick or scratch, a touch-up applicator should do the trick for you. If you are color matching a part or repairing a larger area, you will probably need an aerosol can.

Q. If I ordered paint in aerosol, will it turn out as good as a body shops paint job?
A.  An aerosol can produce a very nice paintjob, but it simply cannot reproduce the original finish as well as a body shop can. The color will be exactly the same, but there are many other variables that can be controlled in a body shop. Dirt, spray pressure, spray-gun atomization...all these things can affect the outcome of a paint job. The only way to control these variables 100% is in a spray booth at a body shop.

Q. What do I need to do a proper paint job?
A.  Whether using aerosols, touch up, or professional sizes we recommend primer, clear coat and the color coat. That is the only way to achieve the best results.