How to Spray-Paint a Car With Aerosol Cans of Touch-Up Paint
At AutomotiveTouchup, we pride ourselves on making high-quality, easy-to-use touch-up paint, but we also want to make sure that you know how to achieve professional results with our products. Here's a step-by-step car paint how-to guide that should help you get familiar with the process of using spray cans to paint a car. If you want a little more guidance on how to spray-paint a car, take a look at our how-to videos, or give us a call: We're here to help!
What to Do Before You Start
Before you do anything, check the weather forecast to see whether you can paint a car with spray paint and get good results. The ideal temperature for automotive spray painting is 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity should be 50% or less. You should also be sure to test the color of your touch-up paint on the provided test match card before doing work on your car, just to be absolutely sure that you've chosen a good match; we won't be able to do anything to help you once the paint is on the car. Spray on your base color, top it with clear coat, and double-check the results before you proceed.
Auto-Painting Steps
Step 1: Surface Preparation
Make sure that your vehicle is parked in a well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight. Then, thoroughly clean the area to be repaired with dish soap and water, and dry it completely. Use prep solvent and a clean, lint-free towel to make sure that the surface is free of wax, oil, tire dressings, or any other surface contaminants.
Step 2: Basic Sanding
Sand out rust, scratches, or bad surface damage with 180-to-320-grit sandpaper. Primer will cover over 180-to-320-grit sand scratches. Use 600-grit wet sandpaper to sand the area where you will use your base coat. Wet-sand the blend panel (the area that might get some base coat and will get clear-coated) with 1,000-to-1,500-grit wet sandpaper. The entire area to be painted should be dull and smooth.
For new plastic parts, lightly scuff the area with a gray (fine) scuff pad. For new metal parts, you may lightly use a red (medium) scuff pad for top-coating with solid colors or a gray scuff pad for metallics and pearls.
When you're done, wipe down the area with a tack cloth to remove any dust.
Step 3: Mask Off Adjacent Panels
Mask off panels adjacent to the one you're painting to prevent overspray. Never tape off mid-panel, or you will see a tape line. Use 3M automotive-grade 3/4-inch masking tape and masking paper or pre-taped film. Doubling up newspaper will work fine, but the paint has a possibility of bleeding through if it's heavily applied. To mask off an area, make a line with tape first, then tape paper to your existing tape line. Use 1 1/2-inch or 2-inch masking tape for small areas like tail lights and reflectors. If you'll be using spray cans to paint a car in an enclosed area, mask the entire car with plastic sheeting to prevent overspray.
Step 4: Apply Primer
First, use plastic parts adhesion promoter on any areas of bare plastic you'll be painting. Spray two light coats over lightly scuffed plastic and let them dry. Then, you can apply your primer. Shake the can well and apply aerosol primer spray paint to clean, sanded metal or to plastic treated with adhesion promoter. Apply three or more coats, waiting 5 to 10 minutes in between for each coat to dry. After you're done, wait 30 minutes, then sand the primer with 600-grit wet sandpaper. Use regular water to clean off the sanding dust and dry the area, and then replace any dust-contaminated masking tape and paper. Use a tack cloth to pick up any remaining lint and dust particles. Do not use prep solvent over the fresh primer.
Step 5: Apply Touch-Up Paint
Thoroughly shake the base-coat color spray can before applying. Then, apply as many medium coats as necessary to cover the area, waiting 5 to 10 minutes between each coat. Each coat should appear uniform and dry before applying the next. If you need to, you may gently use a tack cloth between each dry coat of base coat. If you're painting the car with spray paint that's a tri-coat formulation, like a pearl color, you'll then need to follow up with your mid-coat color. Apply it one coat at a time until you get the pearl effect of the factory finish. Once you're finished with this step, wait at least 30 minutes.
Step 6: Add Clear Coat
Shake your aerosol clear coat well. Then, apply four or five wet (but not dripping) coats, waiting at least 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 it; you can touch the tape line. Note that hot weather will shorten the drying time, while cold weather and/or thicker application will extend the drying time.
Inadequate drying time may result in a color mismatch, a heavy orange-peel texture, and/or a loss of gloss. If this happens when you're painting a car with spray paint in cans, or if you see dust embedded in the clear coat, wait one day to let the clear coat fully cure. Then, you can wet-sand it with 1,500-grit sandpaper and then use rubbing compound to bring out the gloss.
Do not wax the new paint for 30 days.
How Can You Spray-Paint a Car Like a Pro?
Here's a bit of extra advice from the experts to help your paint job be successful:
How Long to Wait Between Coats of Paint When Painting a Car With Spray Paint
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Automotive Paint Product
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Number of Coats
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Duration Between Coats
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Primer
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Three or more coats
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5 to 10 minutes
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Base Coat
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One or more coats, as needed
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5 to 10 minutes, then 30 minutes between the last base coat and applying clear coat
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Clear Coat
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Four or five coats
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10+ minutes
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How to Remove Aerosol Spray Paint
If you're spray-painting a vehicle and make a mistake, you need to address it quickly. If the paint has started to dry but is not fully cured, you can use a paint thinner or remover. Apply a small amount to a clean cloth and gently rub the affected area. Be careful not to use too much pressure, as this could damage the original paint or clear coat underneath.
For dried paint, a clay bar can be effective. Lubricate the area with a clay bar lubricant or a mixture of water and car wash soap, then gently rub the clay bar over the paint. The clay bar will pick up the paint without damaging the surface.
If the paint is fully cured and you cannot remove it with solvents or a clay bar, you may need to lightly sand the area. Use fine-grit sandpaper (1,500 to 2,000 grit) to sand the paint off carefully. After sanding, polish and repaint the area as needed to restore a smooth finish.
What Happens if You Don't Prepare Properly Before Painting a Car With Spray Paint?
If you don't start with a clean car that's parked out of the sun on a day that isn't too humid, the results of your paint job will likely be disappointing.
- Direct Sunlight: Painting in direct sunlight can cause the paint to dry too quickly, which may result in an uneven finish, brush marks, streaking, and blotches. Quick drying can also cause the paint to peel and crack over time.
- High Humidity: Humidity affects how paint dries. In high humidity, moisture gets trapped in the paint, leading to issues like bubbles, blushing, or poor adhesion and contributing to an uneven finish and a loss of durability.
- Silicone Waxes and Tire Dressings: Silicone-containing products can create a barrier on the surface of the car that causes the paint to not adhere properly. This can lead to "fish eyes," which are small, crater-like imperfections in the paint caused by the paint pulling away from the silicone.