How to Properly Touch Up Car Paint?

[VanHaven]

First, completely remove rust, dirt, and grease from the paint surface. You can start by using very fine water sandpaper dipped in water to gently sand away rust spots, then thoroughly clean the area to ensure the rust doesn't spread. Carefully apply masking tape above and below the scratch. This is mainly to avoid accidentally applying touch-up paint to other areas or causing paint runs. Shake the touch-up pen vigorously at least 30 times to mix the paint evenly. Then unscrew the cap, remove the pen, and scrape off excess paint at the bottle opening. Use the pen tip to carefully and evenly apply paint to fill the scratch. Apply a thin first coat, wait about 5 minutes for it to partially dry, then apply second and third coats until the touched-up area is slightly higher than the surrounding original paint. For better results, you can also use polishing compound to level the scratch and paint surface, improving paint adhesion. After waiting 3 days, remove the tape and inspect the paint. If the touched-up area is noticeably higher, use a single-edge razor blade to carefully shave off some of the excess paint, using the same technique as when modifying drawings to avoid damaging surrounding areas. Results show the paint remains soft and brittle, with some paint in the scratch possibly having come off. Reapply touch-up paint and wait another 2 days. Soak 2000-grit waterproof sandpaper in soapy water for 20-30 minutes to soften it and minimize damage to the original paint. Clean surface dust, secure the sandpaper with a sanding block, then lightly wet-sand the touched-up area until it's level with the surrounding paint.