Understanding the Auto Body Painting Process

Vehicle painting seems like a simple enough type of auto body repair. After all, it’s not like overhauling a transmission or performing a wheel alignment; you don’t need mechanical expertise to understand how to put paint on a car. Though with that being said, auto body painting services may be a bit more complex than you think. Let’s get into the ins and outs of vehicle painting.

Vehicle painting

When you have to paint a room in your house, you might do it yourself or hire a professional painter to save you time and ensure it looks good. But painting a vehicle is different, you can’t just buy a can of paint, a tray, a roller, and get to work.

This isn’t to say that it’s impossible to paint your vehicle yourself, just that doing so requires a lot of specialized equipment. And the process is not like painting a wall. It’s trickier for the uninitiated, and the number of transferable skills is limited. This is why many people opt for professional auto body painting services.

What are the benefits of vehicle painting?

A collision repair fixes your vehicle after a crash. A general auto body repair or maintenance service is necessary, so your vehicle operates properly. But what about vehicle painting? What’s the real value of that?

Here are some benefits:

● Aesthetics: The most obvious benefit is still a valuable one: A new coat of paint makes your vehicle look good. If you’ve been driving around in a weathered car or truck, you might be surprised by how much more positive you feel about it with a fresh paint job.

● Value: Improving the look of your vehicle will likely also increase its value. If you’re looking to sell, your car can command a higher sale price with an immaculate paint job.

● Protection: As we’ll see later, professional vehicle painting consists of more than slathering on one coat of paint. There’s sealant involved, and this protects your vehicle from the elements. It doesn’t just safeguard the paint, but it creates a barrier to moisture, decreasing the chances of rust developing on the panel underneath.

When do you need vehicle painting?

When is a paint job necessary for your car? Signs your vehicle could use some paint include:

● It’s looking rough: Driving—or even just parking outside—can be tough on an automobile. Dust, dirt, gravel, rain, and myriad other elements can cause your vehicle’s paint to fade. Sprucing it up can make it look as good as new.

● You want to sell it: As mentioned above, a vehicle painting can help you fetch a higher price for your car, truck, or SUV on the secondary market.

● It has a scratch: A low-impact collision, such as scraping against a pillar in a parking garage or brushing against a branch or bush, can easily scratch the paint off your vehicle. Similarly, a stone flying up from the road, or even hail falling from the sky, can dent and scratch your car. And then there’s vandalism. All of these can create a scratch that needs a touch-up.

● There’s been a crash: Vehicle painting is often the final step of a collision repair. If your vehicle crashes into something with enough force to dent a panel or warp the frame, it will very likely damage the paint, too. 

What is the vehicle painting process?

Let’s look at the steps involved in typical auto body painting services.

1. Vehicle paint matching

Unless you’ve chosen a new color for a whole-vehicle paintingjob, you (or a technician) must match the paint. This can be very difficult to do because the match must be exact. Even a slight difference can make the repair area look like an unsightly blotch. The best auto body repair shops have technology that can match vehicle paint precisely, so when the job’s done you won’t even be able to tell what’s been painted.

2. Covering other surfaces

Automotive paint must be sprayed on. Because of this, you can’t be as precise as a painter with a brush can. That’s why collision repair shops always carefully tape and cover all surfaces near the repair to ensure no errant paint splatters elsewhere on the vehicle.

3. Sanding

Whether there’s a scratch, rust, or significant damage from a collision, auto body repair technicians sand the area to create a smooth surface. They may use sandpaper or electric orbital sanders, or both. The grit of the paper also matters—you don’t want to use paper that’s too abrasive and end up doing more damage. 

When applying a different color, this phase can take a long time. This is because it’s often necessary to sand and scrape off the undercoat, as well as the clear coat and paint. This reveals the bare metal of the panels, leaving a fresh canvas for the new paint.

4. Priming

Primer is necessary for metallic surfaces. It seals the metal and creates a protective barrier. It also makes it easier for the color-coat to stick to the car properly. Last, primer can also help hide surface flaws in the panels themselves.

5. Re-sanding

It’s often necessary to sand after the primer coat. This eliminates powdery residue, but technicians must be careful not to sand down to the bare metal again. That’s why fine-grit paper is often best.

6. Applying the color coat

Finally, it’s time to paint the vehicle with, well, actual paint. This coat (or coats, as is sometimes necessary) gives the vehicle its color. 

7. Applying the clear coat

A protective clear coat helps the color withstand abrasion and ultraviolet light. This could be a solvent or a water-based coat. Some auto body repair technicians may apply an extra layer of clear coat to the metallic paint for a final touch. This involves blending powdered metal with the paint before applying it. The metallic particles increase the paint’s brightness and luster by reflecting more light than solid paints.

And that’s what goes into vehicle painting. If you’re curious to learn more, you can contact a collision repair shop that offers auto body painting services.

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