Touchup Instructions

Questions?

Go to spectralpaints.biz/pages/faqs or scan me! 

Warning:

Hazards and Safety-VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!  Automotive touch-up paint including primer and clearcoats are EXTREMELY hazardous. Keep away from children. Call a physician IMMEDIATELY if swallowed. Keep out of direct sunlight and heat over 120F. DO NOT STORE IN CAR and avoid freezing. Contains HAZARDOUS Waste. EPA requires proper disposal. Use with adequate ventilation. If you experience any dizziness, discontinue product use immediately and call physician. This product contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause birth defects, cancer and other health problems.  Use an approved automotive paint respirator and WEAR safety goggles when handling automotive paint to protect your eyes. This includes the primer, paint and clearcoat.

Before You start:

You must shake each can for 2-3 minutes to ensure they spray well! Spray a test panel with base coat and clear coat first to compare color match and coverage. Make sure the color matches. Send us a message if it doesn't. If you are new to painting, search YouTube for videos on “aerosol auto touchup”. Use at 65F-80F with 70% or less humidity.

Surface Preparation

Thoroughly clean the area to be repaired with alcohol or dish soap + water. Dry completely. Use prep solvent and a clean lint free towel to assure the surface is free of wax, oil, and other surface contaminates. Wait 15-30 minutes before painting. For better results do not apply paint in direct sunlight, high humidity, or where silicone waxes and tire dressings are present. 

Basic Sanding

Sand out rust, scratches, or bad surface damage with P180-P320 grit sandpaper, then use primer. Use P600 wet sandpaper to sand the area you wish to paint. Wet sand the blend panel (area that might get painted and clear coated) with P1000- P1500 grit wet sandpaper. The entire area to be painted should be dull and smooth.

For raw plastic parts lightly scuff the area with a grey fine scuff pad. For new metal parts you may lightly use a medium scuff pad for top coating with solid colors or fine grey scuff pad for metallic and pearls. 

Masking Off Adjacent Panels

Mask off adjacent panels to prevent overspray. Use  automotive grade 3/4" masking tape and masking paper or pre-taped film. Never tape off mid panel or you will see a tape line. Make a line with tape first, then tape paper to your existing tape line. Doubling up newspaper will work fine but paint has a possibility of bleeding through with excessive heavy coats. Use1 1/2" or 2" masking tape for small areas like tail lights and reflectors. In the case of painting in an enclosed area mask the entire car with plastic sheeting to prevent overspray.

Primer / metal surfaces - Adhesion promoter / plastic

For pre-primed bumpers, adhesion promoter is not required. Pre-primed parts typically use basic primers that are prone to chipping. For best results, lightly scuff the part and apply adhesion promoter, then primer. Primer is encouraged after adhesion promoter, but not required. Spray 1 coat of adhesion promoter over lightly scuffed plastic, followed by 2-3 coats of primer.

Shake primer well. Apply aerosol primer over clean sanded metal.  Primer will fill 180-320 grit wet sandpaper scratches. Apply 3 or more coats, waiting 5-10 minutes dry time in-between coats. Sand the primer after 30-60 minutes dry time with 600 grit wet sandpaper. Use regular water to clean off sanding dust and dry the area and then replace the dust contaminated masking tape and paper. Do not use prep solvent over the fresh primer. Use a tack rag to pick up lint and dust particles.

Disclaimer: if pre-primed parts bubble, flake or chip and the customer has not prepped the part according to the above instructions, Spectral Paints will be unable to warranty the order.

Spray Paint Touch Up Application

Thoroughly shake paint for two minutes before applying. Spray the cardboard test panel (included in the shipping box) with base coat and clear coat first to compare color match and coverage. Make sure the color matches before painting the vehicle. Apply as many medium coats as necessary to cover the area, waiting 5-10 minutes between each coat. Each coat should appear uniform and dry before applying the next coat. You may gently use a tack cloth between each dry coat of basecoat. Spray light dust coats if a metallic or pearl color looks too dark. Wait 30 minutes before using a clear coat. 

Tri-coat (some pearls and some metallics) paints are different. Spray the ground coat color first, one coat at a time until the area is covered, then spray the mid coat pearl color. Apply one coat at a time until you achieve the pearl effect of the factory color.

Clearcoat

Shake the aerosol clear coat well. Allow 30 minutes after base coat color has been applied to apply the clear coat. Apply 3-4 wet (but not dripping) coats waiting 7-10 minutes in between coats. Each coat should be dry to the touch (not tacky) before moving on to the next. Do not touch the freshly painted panel to test. You can touch the tapeline. Hot weather will shorten the dry time, cold weather and/or thicker film build will extend the dry time. Skipping the dry time may result in a color mismatch, heavy orange peel texture, and/or a loss of gloss. Wait one day to use a rubbing compound. After 48 hours of cure time you may wet sand out orange peel and light texture or dust embedded in the clear coat film with P1500 wet sandpaper, then use a rubbing compound to bring out the gloss. Wait 30 days before waxing. 

Summary:  Proper order:

	Base Coat Paints:
Order	Metal Surfaces
1	Primer
2	Base Coat
3	Clear Coat
Order	Plastic Surfaces
1	Adhesion Promoter
2	Base Coat
3	Clear Coat
	Tri-Coat Paints:
Order	Metal Surfaces
1	Primer
2	Ground Coat
3	Mid Coat
4	Clear Coat
Order	Plastic Surfaces
1	Adhesion Promoter
2	Ground Coat
3	Mid Coat
4	Clear Coat

 

 

Proper Disposal

If there is any paint, primer or clear left in the can(s), take them outside and spray until empty.  Once empty they can go in regular trash bin.