How is paint matched to my car?

I-CAR says: "Color matching is done on every vehicle that comes into the collision repair facility."

I-CAR lists manufacturing variances, different production locations and paint suppliers, and weathering of the finish. Age and weathering, the vehicle's own color (solid, metallic, pearl or tri-coat), and earlier repairs can all affect a match. A tri-coat or quad-coat color may need a longer blend area.

It depends on the vehicle. PPG tells painters to use a chip book or wall poster for code locations on different vehicles. On Ford vehicles, the door-jamb label lists it as "EXT PNT." This page does not give code locations for other makes.

These are separate checks from the sources, not one numbered list, and the order varies:

• Variants. A code can have variant colors. PPG says to check them; the painter polishes the adjacent panel and picks the version with the best blendable match.
• A spray-out card. When a match is suspicious, paint a test card.
• Good light. The match is judged in natural sunlight, color-corrected lights or a handheld match light.
• Tinting. Adding small amounts of toner to the formula.
• Blending. Extending the basecoat color into the next panel; I-CAR says it "deceives the eye into seeing only one color rather than two." Blending can never replace tinting to fix an unacceptable match.

Where is the paint code on my car, and does it have variants? Was the color tested on a card before painting? How is the color checked, and in what light? Will nearby panels be blended, and why?