Behind the Scenes: How We Get Your Paint to Match Perfectly

One of the biggest concerns we hear at Jerry’s Collision Center is: “Will I be able to tell where the repair was made?” It’s a fair question. Your car’s factory paint is applied in a controlled environment by robots. Matching that color and texture by hand after an accident is both a science and an art. Here is how our team makes the damage “disappear.”

Step 1: Decoding the Paint Code

Every vehicle has a specific manufacturer’s paint code—usually hidden on a sticker inside your door jamb or under the hood. While this gives us the “recipe,” it’s only the starting point. Over time, sunlight and weather can slightly fade a car’s original color, meaning the code alone might not be a perfect match anymore.

Step 2: High-Tech Spectrophotometry

To account for fading and aging, we use a tool called a spectrophotometer. This device “scans” your existing paint to analyze its exact current hue. It helps our technicians adjust the mix to ensure the new paint blends seamlessly with the panels that weren’t damaged.

Step 3: The Art of “Blending”

We don’t just paint the spot where the scratch was. To fool the human eye, we use a technique called blending. We gradually taper the new paint into the original paint on the surrounding panels. This creates a smooth transition so there are no harsh lines or “patches” visible in direct sunlight.

Step 4: The Clear Coat Finish

The final step is the clear coat, which provides that deep, glass-like shine and protects the color from UV rays. Once baked and cured, your car looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor.

Don’t settle for “close enough.” At Jerry’s Collision Center, we pride ourselves on precision. If you want your car to look like the accident never happened, come see us for a free consultation.