Debate: paint blend vs full panel when color matching modern pearls

You got a specific pearl white you've been working with? Because I found with Toyota's 070 or 062, blending into the adjacent panel is basically a must since the pearl layers never lay down exactly the same twice, but on certain Honda pearls I've had better luck doing a full panel and just living with the slight mismatch at the edge.

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colethomas3mo ago

Paint blend vs full panel" is just code for "do I feel lucky today or do I want to cry over a gallon of $800 paint." Either way you'll still see it in fluorescent light and question all your life choices.

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hannah_west393mo ago

Blair pretty much nailed it with the Toyota pearls. I actually read a tech bulletin from one of the big paint suppliers a couple years back that said for highly tricoat pearls like that 070, blend is basically the only way to get the color to match under multiple light sources. The bulletin mentioned it's because of how the mica particles settle differently even with the same gun settings. Your mileage will definitely vary though. I've seen guys do a full panel on a Honda pearl and have it disappear right into the next panel, but I've also had to redo a fender on a Lexus three times because the pearl layer kept looking greenish in direct sun. Take that bulletin with a grain of salt though, it was from one of those manufacturer training sessions so they might be a little conservative.

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