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ERA PAINTS Touchup Application Instructions
Thank you for choosing ERA Paints!
Are you looking for touch up spray paint instructions? Click here!
Customer service is our primary goal – we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have at CustomerService@ERAPaints.com or 971-770-2372.
Please read, fully understand, and follow directions before beginning your touchup paint project.
Improper preparation or application will result in paint adhesion issues, ‘fish eyes’, paint flaking, etc. We are not liable for vehicle damage caused by improper prep/application.
These instructions assume you purchased a prep kit or have similar materials/tools to do the job.
Important Please Read: Before contacting us with a color match concern and before applying paint to your vehicle, it is critical that you test your paint on the test card included in your shipment or on an inconspicuous place on your vehicle for confirmation of correct color. Dried paint will look different than wet paint or paint in a bottle.
Long-term upside-down storage of glass jars will increase paint shelf-life.
You can learn a LOT about application technique by visiting our extensive library of “How-To” videos and helpful hints at www.youtube.com/erapaints (subscribe to us too!) or our website www.erapaints.com.
Test Card Creation: Before doing any prep work, USE THE ENCLOSED TEST CARD to test how well our paint matches your vehicle’s – follow the directions on the back of the test card, and color-compare in full direct sunshine.
Working Environment: Recommended ambient and panel temperature for painting is 70-85°F. Humidity should be no higher than 60%. When applying paint to a vehicle, you should NEVER have the paint surface in the direct sunlight or wind.
Surface Preparation: Thoroughly clean the area to be repaired with wax/grease remover (rubbing alcohol or lacquer thinner or similar can be used as a substitute) & let dry completely. Ensure the surface is free of wax, oil, and other surface contaminates by applying wax/grease remover to a clean lint free towel (blue shop towel) and use it to clean paint surface (only apply wax/grease remover to the towel – never directly on paint). If sanding is needed: Use fine sandpaper (at least 600 grit) to remove rust or bad surface damage.
Dabber Usage: There are several different tools and methods which can be used to apply primer, touchup paint and clear coat to scratches and chips on your vehicle. We have chosen a ‘dabber’ for our kits (as opposed to a brush or pen), as we feel it is the best applicator – as long as you know how to use it. So here are some helpful hints: First, we have included 2 dabbers for each bottle of paint you have ordered. These dabbers can be cleaned & reused – just use a little paint thinner or mineral spirits to completely clean the paint out of them. DO NOT use a dabber as a paint brush – you will destroy the tip and the fill-in scratch line will not be optimal, only put a small amount of paint on the dabber. Develop a technique of gently dabbing ‘dots’ of paint into the scratch (light dots/coats only!) in a ‘connect-the-dots’ technique (see our videos on our website). Do not attempt to use the dabber to move paint inside the scratch – simply apply many small ‘dots’. Your results will look better if you have patience and take your time filling in scratches or chips. You can also utilize the dabber without the fuzzy tip by removing it (or try using a sharp end of a toothpick) – this will allow you to apply very small amounts of paint at a time for optimal control.
Primer Application (if purchased): Apply 2-3 dot-coats of primer on plastic or bare metal waiting 5-10 minutes to dry between each coat. If well-applied, primer will seal rust. Allow primer to dry for 30 minutes before sanding with 600 grit sandpaper until surface is smooth and flush with surrounding area.
Paint Touchup Application: Before using, THOROUGHLY SHAKE the touch up paint jar upside down. THEN MIX THE PAINT THOROUGHLY WITH A TOOTHPICK, DABBER OR SIMILAR TOOL. Apply as many dot-coats as necessary to cover the area waiting leaving 5-10 minutes minimum between coats. Wax/grease remover can be used to gently wipe away excess paint, but you really need to be careful – the key here is not to apply too much paint. If you are not applying clear coat over the paint, you can apply polishing compound to bring out shine after the paint is fully dry (wait at least one day).
Clear Coat Application (if you purchased clear coat – strongly recommended): Allow paint to dry (at least 30 minutes after application) before applying clear coat. THOROUGHLY SHAKE the touch up clear coat jar before applying. Clear coat should only be applied within 24 hours of paint application, otherwise you must wait 7 days to apply clear coat over paint. Gently apply multiple very LIGHT layers of clear coat dots/coats waiting 15-20 minutes between applications. Clear coat should be dry in 2 hours, but for best results let dry overnight. You should wait at least one week before applying wax to the area. Remember: don’t cover paint with clear coat that is too thick because the clear coat may interact with the paint and ‘lift’ or rewet the paint – multiple light coats are the key to success!
A NOTE ABOUT SAFETY
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING: Our paint and wax/grease remover products contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm – use in a well-ventilated area and avoid contact with skin. Customers accept responsibility for using products in a safe and responsible manner. Exercise caution when using our products. Follow product instructions carefully. Keep paint and other paint products away from children. Please dispose of unused paint products carefully and respect local regulations. Use protective equipment during application – toxic chemicals that are found in spray can inhalants can pass into the bloodstream and eventually make their way to the brain. These chemicals represent a number of health risks and potentially fatal dangers. Someone who intentionally sniffs a large amount of the chemicals found in aerosols is at risk of brain, kidneys or liver damage, visual problems, seizures, loss of hearing, central nervous system damage, dementia, and even suffocation or Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. Please be aware that spray can sniffing is fairly common among teenagers. MSDS sheets are available for all products upon request.
COLOR MATCHING ISSUES
We make custom ‘make-to-order’ paint based on the OEM paint code you send us. You should realize that even if we mix paint EXACTLY as per original OEM specification (as we typically do!) IT IS SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE TO GET PAINT TO MATCH YOUR VEHICLE. This is a big issue in our industry, and is the leading cause of returns. Why? There are many reasons but the biggest one BY FAR is faded paint on your vehicle. Many other issues can also contribute to non-match: repainted vehicles, auto manufacturer issues (sealer/clear coat ‘colors’ can vary, application of insufficient or too much paint application, paint baked too much or too little, etc), parts of vehicles painted at different plants using different paint variations. For the autobody industry, non-matching paint is such an issue that it is common for paint manufacturers to provide alternate color formulas – many times up to 8 or10! What this means is that the formula for a particular paint code can have many alternates, and note that your vehicle’s paint code sticker DOES NOT SPECIFY ALTERNATES.
So you need to be aware that issues such as paint fading, paint alternates and car repaints sometimes make it impossible to accurately match your paint. Why is this important? If you have a 5 or 10 year old vehicle that has had significant exposure to the elements (i.e. not parked in a garage), it is quite possible that our custom mix paint will not match your vehicle.
30-DAY CONDITIONAL WARRANTY/RETURNS/REFUNDS POLICY
RETURNS/REFUNDS/RE-MIXES: We hand-mix and sell OEM-spec paint (the paint color your car was manufactured with), and we guarantee our paint to match any ORIGINAL factory color per OEM specifications. However, this color may vary slightly from your vehicle’s paint color due to vehicle paint fading. As we have no idea how badly your vehicle’s paint has faded, WE DO NOT WARRANTY PAINT MATCHING ISSUES DUE TO PAINT FADE. Therefore, in order for you to get a return/refund/remix on your purchase you need to send us valid demonstrable photo proof that our paint was formulated/mixed incorrectly. Generally, we will gladly refund purchases for situations such as blue paint was shipped for a brown vehicle. BE SURE TO THOROUGHLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTIONS WE SEND WITH YOUR ORDER BEFORE PAINT APPLICATION TO ENSURE A QUALITY APPLICATION. Additionally we strongly recommend Clear Coat for your paint purchase as it not only protects your paint, but more importantly Clear Coat has a significant impact on color/sheen matching. If you receive a defective product or partial order, we will be happy to fully fulfill your order. And if your order arrived substantially damaged, we will do our best to reship new product to you, however we require you to send photo proof of the packing/shipping damage. Because we create customized make-to-order paint products, we cannot accept refunds/returns for reasons such as 1) ordered the wrong paint 2) ordered by mistake 3) don’t need any more 4) found cheaper elsewhere, etc. If a return is authorized, your return is subject to a 20-50% restocking fee depending on sales channel and we require the customer to send back the package at his/her cost.
We value you as a customer and we thank you for giving us the opportunity to make it right with you.
Do you learn better visually? Check our YouTube for more great how to’s and informational videos to make your project perfect!
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