Another solution to paint being too light might simply be another coat of paint. Sometimes, to get the coverage you want, you will need to add two or three coats of paint. If your first round of touchup paint doesn't work great, give it another coat in twenty-four hours and see if that darkens it up.
The real problem is likely: Paint is a little bit like wallpaper runs. The touch up paint you picked up is from a different batch than the original paint and the colorants used to tint it are also (most likely), so the paint is slightly different in color.
Take the two empty cans back to the store and ask them for a refund or replacement. Most big box stores offer satisfaction guarantees and will replace mismatched paint; the policy is designed for situations like what you're describing.
Apply your paint with feather-light strokes, starting from the center of the touch-up area. Work your way out from the center, feathering the edges as you go. ``Feathering'' just means that you extend your brush strokes a bit beyond the touch-up area so that the new paint blends in nicely.
I like to use a pink pencil eraser or even take an actual new #2 pencil and either glue paper to the block or use a hole punch and make little small sanding disks that get glued to the pencil eraser. You can wet sand very small spots this way to level the touch up paint. Then polish back out.
The main problem is that wicking will not occur at the same rate on a touch-up job versus the wicking rate of the original top coat. It is virtually impossible to reproduce the exact wicking rate, and this is why a touch-up job will often appear as a slightly different color than the original paint.
When done correcly, a touch up that is wet sanded will disapear and looks as if nothing has ever happened to the paint. The difficulty with that is you need to let the paint cure before wet sanding.
It is easy to smooth out touch-up paint with lacquer thinner. Simply wipe and dry the area, dab a small amount of the solvent onto a cotton swab, and massage the paint glob away slowly.
Use Mineral Spirits. Mineral spirits are solvents that remove paint from many surfaces including your car. Many at-home DIYers use mineral spirits to remove dried paint from a touch up job that didn't go as planned. Mineral spirits effectively thin and remove paint and work well on your car when used carefully.
If Paint is Too Light
Use other paints of the same brand, type, and sheen to darken the paint.
Alkyd paints are shinier and may take from a week to a month after touch-up to blend with the original paint coat. Latex paints touch up easier, regardless of the gloss level, but can still take several days to blend with the original color.
Wall patch tends to soak up a LOT of paint, much more so than the existing paint on the wall. Because of this, a small area of patching can stand out like a sore thumb. You can minimize this by priming in the patched area with a primer so it comes closer to matching the rest of the wall.
“Yes, applying a second coat of paint will usually make the colour appear darker and more saturated. This is because the second coat adds more pigment to the surface, reducing the amount of light that passes through the paint film.
Diluting paint adds moisture, which slows the wicking rate and increases the time needed for the paint to set up. Dilute the paint by 5 to 10 percent with water for latex-based paint or mineral spirits for oil-based paint.
Either use the manufacturer's website or call your selling dealer to retrieve the paint code using the VIN. Once you have the paint code, you can find the right match for your vehicle at AutoZone with ease. Or, if you know the color description rather than the paint code, you can search that way.
Using a paintbrush, start at the center of the touch-up and slowly move outward. Lightly extend the tip of the brush just beyond the area you're touching up to seamlessly blend the touched up area with the original painted area.
Recycling Your Paint
Sherwin-Williams is pleased to volunteer many of our stores as drop-off locations. Ready to drop off your leftover paint? Search for a Sherwin-Williams store* in any of the participating states/jurisdictions.
Sanding between coats of the base coat color should only be done if there is something wrong with the application. This is especially true if you're tempted to use sandpaper between coats of paint with a metallic or pearlized look.
Without primer, the touched-up spot will stand out, and it'll look a right mess. The trick is to blend the new paint with the original surface. Priming will also prep your surface for paint and seal any stains - especially those that wouldn't come off.
Get a bottle of low-grit rubbing compound and carefully work a small dab over the repair area with a microfibre cloth to smooth out the paint bump.
Lacquer thinner should take it right off. If the car is recent, it will be clear coated and lacquer thinner will not be removing clearcoat. So what you need to do it put some on a cloth or microfiber towel and wipe the touch up paint. Once your are done rinse with water to remove any remaining solvent on the paint.