Automotive Touch Up Paint FAQs

This can be difficult information to locate! We have two aids to help:

1) Go to our ‘HOW TO FIND YOUR PAINT CODE’ videos on our YouTube Channel ‘ERA Paints’ – you will find one 30-second video for each auto brand!

2) Click on Find Your Paint Code and select your vehicle’s Make.  You will find an easy to watch video and/or an automobile graphic which indicates typical locations where paint codes are found for each brand.

3) Still can’t find your paint code? Give us a call at 971-770-2372 or email us at CustomerService@ERAPaints.com, we are happy to help.  Or you can contact your local dealership and they can provide you with the paint code utilizing your VIN number.

Some car paint can be challenging to match, but there are times when we can work with our paint lab to find it.

If your car is older than 1994, we’ve found that matching colors may be very difficult due to sun damage, fading etc. but we have been successful with many of our customers vehicles.

Also, your paint also might be a tri-coat.  Unfortunately, we do not make tri-coats as they are very specialized paints and can be very difficult to match and apply.

If you do have a tri-coat or your vehicle is older than 1994, give us a call at 971-770-2372 or email us at CustomerService@ERAPaints.com and we can try to give you more information and help you find a substitute or your paint code if you can’t find it.

I found my color code on the internet, but I saw two different color names.  Can I assume it is the same color?

Yes, they are the same.

Up to 30% of paint codes have multiple color names.

For example:

Toyota paint code 781 has two descriptions: Frosty Green Mica and Sea Glass Pearl

Nissan KAD has two descriptions: Gun Metallic and Graphite Shadow Metallic

However, it is important to always use the paint code when ordering your automotive touch up paint, never the color name. The same color name can be used across car manufacturers but have different paint formulas.

We want our customers to always have the perfect color match for their car or truck, so we do not recommend using the color name to order your automotive touch up paint.

Our years of automotive paint experience have shown that different manufacturers may use the same paint color name. For example: Gecko Green is used by Jeep, Volkswagen & Volvo, but each paint color name has a different paint formula. Additionally when searching for your paint color name, a word may be missed when searching – Shimmering Silver Metallic is very different from Shimmering Air Silver Metallic.

To ensure the best color match, find the code on your vehicle using our How-To videos on our YouTube channel where you will find a short video showing you where to find your paint code for the make of your car or truck.

Or click on Find Your Paint Code and select your vehicle’s Make.  You will be taken to a page where you will find an easy to watch video and/or an auto image that will show the common locations for your paint code.

Still having problems? Email us at  CustomerService@ERAPaints.com or call us 971-770-2372 and we will be happy to assist you.

We are often asked if a Ford paint code is the same paint color as a Lincoln paint code. YES, it is common for manufacturers to share colors across multiple makes.

For example, Mopar (Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth/Jeep) paint code PS5 (Silverstone Metallic) is available for a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Chrysler Sebring.

So, if you don’t find your Lincoln paint code, try Ford!!!

Common car companies with multiple makes:

-Chrysler Corporation: Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, Plymouth

-Ford Motor Company: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda

-General Motors: Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer

-Honda: Honda, Acura

-Hyundai: Hyundai, Kia, Genesis

-Mercedes: Mercedes, Smart

-Nissan: Nissan, Infiniti

-Toyota: Toyota, Lexus, Scion

-Volkswagen: Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche

Car parts are manufactured and painted in different factories and when assembled the same paint code can show variations.

Alternates are color formulas which are very close to the original paint code, but not quite the same.

The differences in paint color are called ‘alternates’ or ‘variations’ and some paint codes can have up to 9 variations.

Paint manufacturers formulate these alternative color formulas when their research uncover problems with matching original paint colors during auto body shop repairs.

These alternates can cause problems if using the ‘standard’ formulation to match an alternative paint.

There is no way to identify that you have alternate paint until you try to match it.

ERA Paints Touch Up products are designed for small rock chips and scratches in a vehicles paint.

Our 1/4 ounce touch up paint jar is plenty for 30-40 rock chips or enough for a 48 inch long scratch.

Be sure to seal your paint with clear coat to ensure the best color match and protect your paint

One can of spray paint generally has enough paint to fully cover a 3.5 ft x 3.5 ft area (1 coat, blending etc).

Depending upon the size of your project you may need several coats of basecoat paint to obtain full coverage and the best color match. For example: if fully painting a fender, two cans will be needed for best coverage, for a complete bumper three spray cans would be ideal, but for road rash on a corner one spray can may be enough.

If unsure how much primer, basecoat or clear coat you need for your project, check out our estimation table here.

For more information, check out our How To videos on our YouTube Channel: ERA Paints.

Now you know the ins and outs of getting your Touch Up Paint, if you want help applying your paint, read the continued FAQs below!

PREP, PREP, PREP!!!

Paint (basecoat) will not bubble, curdle, blemish, fish-eye or anything else if the underlying surface has been prepped correctly.

So, in order to prep a surface, you need to do at least 2 things:

-Fully clean the underlying surface of dirt, wax, grease, human oils, etc. If you don’t properly clean the surface, you are going to encounter an ‘oil and water’ situation – the surface and the paint are going to fight with each other. So, if you are working over a panel that’s already on the car, get some soapy (dishwater detergent) warm water & wash off the mud etc. Then for the wax buildup, sticky tree sap & any other type of gunk, use ERA Paints wax/grease remover and clean the surface until you have a perfectly clean surface.

-Ensure that the paint product will stick to the surface by roughing up the surface with some fine-grit sandpaper, paint will not stick to a slick surface. After roughing the surface, be sure to fully clean the area once again. Purchase one of our Pro-Prep Kits to properly prepare your project for paint.

-With each purchase you will receive a very detailed Spray or Touch Up instruction guide to help you with your paint application.

Absolutely, whether it is a Touch Up or Spray paint project, clear coat is a protectant and is very important for multiple reasons.

-Your paint may not match if you have not applied clear coat. Typically paint without clear coat will be dull and will appear to have a different, slightly lighter color.

-The clear coat creates a chemical bond with the base coat that makes it weather and damage resistant.

-It makes the paint shine; without clear coat your paint will not have the level of gloss that it should.

Watch our “How to properly spray your paint and clearcoat” video for the best application.

Blending is the art of making a paint line disappear i.e. taking two very similar colors and blending them into the illusion of one.

Take a look at our video on blending to learn more about the technique.

Be sure to let the paint job dry completely before checking for the final color match.

This is done after blending and clearcoat application.

There are different tools and methods which can be used to apply Primer, Touch Up paint and Clearcoat to scratches and chips on your vehicle. We have chosen a ‘dabber’ for our kits as we have found it to produce the best results with repairing small dings and scratches.

Helpful hints: DO NOT use a dabber as a paint brush – you will destroy the tip and the touch up job will not be optimal. Instead gently dab a ‘dot’ of paint into the scratch in a ‘pointillism’ technique (see our YouTube video). Do not attempt to use the dabber to move paint inside the scratch – simply use many small ‘dots’. Furthermore, your results will look better if you have patience and take your time filling in scratches or chips.

Note: that these dabbers can be cleaned & reused – just use a little paint thinner or mineral spirits to completely clean the paint out of them.  You can also remove the dabber tips to apply smaller amounts of paint. Be sure to clean the area after removing the tip to remove any contaminants.

YES, you can use any sort of a ‘reducer’ such as a couple of drops of paint thinner.

You can use a toothpick or something similar to mix.

Be careful to not add too much thinner though.

In general, you should only thin paint if it appears too thick to apply in a quality manner.

1K Coatings– Are a coating that does not utilize a catalyst hardener. This is “single-component” paint that dries in the air.  Nearly all aerosol spray can paints are 1K.

2K Coatings– Describes a coating that requires mixing with a catalyst hardener. Therefore, it can be very challenging to apply outside an auto body shop.

ERA Paints offers both 1K & 2K coatings for all your DIY projects.

Definitely AFTER!

In fact, you should remove wax before applying paint and wait at least one month after spraying or touching up to put wax back on.

Wax, silicone and oils may cause your paint to fisheye, but don’t worry, ERA Paints wax and grease remover is designed to chemically remove these contaminants.

We suggest the wax and grease remover is applied according to our instructions supplied in each shipment.