Most probably, you have already faced this problem at some point of your career. A painter may feel frustrated why the paint looks a bit lighter, and the flakes appear flatter. Even if you spray an adjacent fender or a quarter panel in exactly the same way, the difference will still be there. Auto body supply shop’s manager will also hear complaints that the paint wasn’t matched properly and so on. The truth is that even if the plastic part was properly prepared with special plastic primer or sealer applied to it, we will still, most likely have colour discrepancy.
Why this happens? The main reason is that , all plastics build up static charge very easily. Cleaning of the bumper with a tack cloth, degreasing it with solvent and, even the paint hitting the surface during spraying process make the detail statically charged. Therefore, metallic particles in paint will not flip the same way they do on steel or aluminium.
What to do about it? In many cases, the difference is negligible and no additional measures need to be taken. However, some colours, for instance, many silvers, will turn out to be very different. In order to diminish the negative effect, you need to:
- Strictly follow the instructions your supplier is giving you for spraying plastic parts.
- Use special impregnated wipes, like Novolcean from Gekatex or PPG Multi-Prep SXA-103 anti-static agent in spray. These products will help to reduce the static charge, decrease dust and dirt attraction, and minimize colour differences on plastic parts.
