What is a Color Verification process?
The color verification process is where a paint formula is selected, and then verified to be the correct match for the vehicle being repaired. The steps are not limited to but almost always include, finding the paint code, verifying any special toners, taking a camera reading, doing spray out cards and repeating if necessary.
Why is it so important?
It is one of the most important processes to have in place because it has a huge impact on cycle time, material costs and quality control. Without a good process in place, your cycle is inherently increased and is also at major risk of delays. Your materials cost will also skyrocket if you have to repaint a job. When you are rushing to get a vehicle painted and are having difficulty with a color, sometimes the pressure will lead to incorrect application or wrong color choice. There is an immediate and direct benefit to having a good process in place.
What is included in a good Color Verification Process?
Getting all the information
This first step, as simple as it may seem, is very important. The first thing that you should be doing is looking at any OEM procedures regarding paint for the vehicle. The is very important because depending on the repair, you may be limited to what you can spray. For example, you are only allowed to use radar paint formulas on some bumpers because the effect in the paint can mess up the radar. If you are only limited to one formula because of OEM procedure, you’ll need to blend because you’re not allowed to put anything else on that bumper.
The next step would be to find the paint code. It can be in several different places on the vehicle, sometimes google can help with finding the location of the paint code. If you cannot, call the dealer with the vin and ask them for it.
Once the paint code has been located you can then search the system to determine if it is a three stage, needs any special toners, any special application instructions from the paint company. For example the application of Mazda’s new white, 51k uses a special application process to achieve proper color match. Usually at this point, your paint system will tell you if you have any color chips or sprayout cards you have done before that you can use to verify the color.
Getting the proper camera shot
The color match cameras are an amazing and extremely helpful tool in a painter’s toolbox. The can take a picture of the vehicle and almost instantly compare it to thousands of different colors and bring up what it thinks is the closest match. The caveat is that, for it to do its job properly, it needs to get a very clean picture. The camera will only find a match to what it sees, so if it sees a dirty film or gets glare from micro scratches, it will match to that, not the true color of the car.
Make sure that when you are taking your camera shot, you follow the recommendations from the paint company on how to prepare that spot properly. This will usually include a quick cut and polish followed by a cleaning with glass cleaner to remove any residue and films from the polish.
Doing the spray out card(s)
It may seem like a minor detail to mention but making sure you apply the paint correctly to spray our card is extremely important. Many painters make the mistake of spraying the card differently than they spray the vehicle. When spraying the card, make sure that your passes mimic what you do when painting the vehicle while keeping the same gun distance. Make note of air pressures. The objective is to spray the card the exact same way you would spray the vehicle.
*A helpful tip for when spraying tricoat are to do “Let-down” panels to verify how much midcoat is needed to achieve a good color match. Also, clearing half of the “let-down” panel helps you verify color match in the booth, before you clear the vehicle.
Verifying the color
Now that you have completed the sprayout card, it’s time to verify if the color matches the vehicle. The most important thing that is needed in this step is good lighting. If you are using a hand hell color match light, make sure that it has a CRI (Color Rendering Index) as close to 100 as possible. The CRI measures how accurately a light source displays the colors of objects, compared to natural daylight. If possible, try to have a light with different color temperature settings as well to mimic different lighting scenarios.
When looking at the card against the vehicle it is critical to mimic the gaps and natural separation of the panels. Placing the card directly on the panel or butting up directly against the panel will not mimic how the final color will be viewed. The quarter inch gap between a fender and door that provides a visual break will help in determining the correct match.
*It is also important to note the color difference between metal panels and plastic panels. It is extremely difficult to butt match a plastic panel to a metal panel.
Documenting
One of the biggest advantages of making sprayout cards is that it will build you a library of custom colors and variants that you can use in the future. If you have a vehicle with a difficult color match one day and you spend the time documenting it properly, the next time that vehicle comes in, you can just refer to that sprayout card instead of having to do the whole process over again.
It is extremely important that you document your sprayout cards clearly and properly. Make sure you print out the formula labels, make note of any work order information and even document air pressure. The only way this process is effective is if your library is organized. Otherwise, you end up in a situation where you have all of these cards laying, possibly with a good color match, but no information on it so you cannot pull it up in the paint system.
What are the benefits of having a good color verification Process?
Reduces cycle time
Although the color verification process seems a bit labor intensive up front but it saves you a tremendous amount of time in the long run. By taking the time to build your color library, you are now cutting down time on the next job. Eventually, your library will be big enough and have most of the colors you use every day, and this will translate into significant reduction of time needed to search for colors.
Catches problems early
We always suggest having the color verification process as close to the beginning of the repair as possible. There will always be certain colors that are very difficult and sometimes your painter will need help. This is the point where the Brown’s Auto Supply tech team would come into your shop and help identify the proper match. If needed, we could also include the paint manufacturer as well. If the difficulty is realized early enough in the repair, the problem has a chance to be solved before the vehicle even hits the paint department and production can flow smoothly.
Saves on Material Costs
This one is simple. If you don’t verify your color and that vehicle must be repainted, you have now doubled the cost of the materials needed for the job. It makes financial sense to spend the extra time verifying the color than covering the cost of a redo.
Sets you up for success
The Color Verification Process is vital for a timely and profitable repair. When we are talking about having the right tools in place, this is one of the main ones a body shop must have.
With a good color library, ARPs (advanced repair plans) are significantly easier and predictable, which means more work through your doors.
Having a good library also means that your painter can spend less time trouble shooting and more time spraying, which means shorter cycle times and more productivity.
Not having to repaint vehicles will save you a lot of money on labor and materials. This will ultimately mean better and more predictable profit.
Final thoughts
This process may seem like more of a hassle than it is worth, but it is completely the opposite. It is an excellent money-making tool for a shop to have. However, you will only get back what you put into it, so you can either choose to make money or spend money.
