Is Car Touch-Up Painting Done in Whole or Partial Sections?
2 Answers
Car touch-up painting can be done either in whole or partial sections depending on the situation. Whole-section painting: The reason for performing whole-section painting in car touch-ups is to prevent the painted area from peeling off. The repair scope needs to be determined for car touch-up painting: carefully inspect the damaged area. If the damage exceeds one-third of the component, a blending repair method should be adopted. Blending repair involves applying clear coat to the entire component while transitioning the base coat from the damaged area to the original paint, thus maximally preserving the original car paint and avoiding color mismatch issues. This is because when one-third of the area is damaged, processes like sanding, primer application, base coat, clear coat, and blending will cover over two-thirds of the component, leaving very little original area - making spot repair meaningless. Partial-section painting: For partial spraying, if the topcoat color can be adjusted very accurately, it would facilitate the repair. However, in practice, it's extremely difficult to perfectly match the touch-up paint color with the old paint color. Even with identical composition, color difference may still occur after spraying. To minimize color discrepancy between new and old paint, experienced automotive painters have accumulated extensive practical knowledge over years of practice to reduce color differences in partial touch-up painting to the minimum.
Last time, there was a small scratch on the rear door of my car. I drove to the repair shop and asked the technician, who said a spot repair would suffice without needing to repaint the entire panel. For minor scratches, spot repairs save time and money, costing just a few hundred yuan with results that are barely noticeable. However, for extensive damage or scratches in critical areas like door edges, a full repaint is recommended to avoid color mismatch. I opted for the spot repair that time, and it turned out fine, but the technician warned that color matching is tricky—easier with light-colored cars but requires careful paint mixing for darker ones. In short, consider the extent of damage and your budget; spot repairs are sufficient for minor issues and help preserve the original paint. Always drive carefully to avoid scratches and park in open spaces to save yourself a lot of trouble.
