Powder coating has many advantages over paint. In terms of protection, durability, and longevity, powder coating is superior to paint. However, one thing paint has over powder coating is color matching. Mixing and matching a specific paint color is easy. Hardware and paint stores can program a machine to mix up any color within minutes. Powder coating color matching, on the other hand, is a little more involved. How does custom color matching in powder coating work? Here are the basics.
Easy But Not Inexpensive
Much like the process of matching paint, a client can bring the powder coating company a sample of the color they want to match. The pros will scan the color and match it to a specific mixture of powder coat and pigment. This can get a little pricy since you can’t buy just a pint, quart, or gallon of specially mixed powder coating. A full box of custom-made powder must be created, and for a small job, that can mean a lot of powder coating left over. Luckily, there’s an alternative.
Color Coding
This one requires a bit more skill on the powder coating manufacturer’s part, though a more experienced company will have an eye and skill set for doing the job right. Once again, the company can look at the sample and take a guess at what is necessary to create the powder coating. Fortunately, almost every color has a code under the Pantone systems. Color matching using these codes yields much better results than eyeballing it.
Trial and Error
After identifying or approximating the color, the company creates the pigment mix. Powder coating experts intermix two or more pigments to create the color in a small amount. This requires some skill and knowledge of color matching as well as the chemistry involved in the powder coating process. Next, they spray the resulting powder coat onto a surface similar to the workpiece. They’ll bake the powder coating onto the sample and review the results under different lighting. This is necessary in case of subtle differences in color, tone, or hue. Finally, the sample may be presented to the customer to check if they are satisfied with the result.
What’s Next?
If the customer is dissatisfied, the process begins again, but now the manufacturer has a better idea about the color. Testing and perfecting the mix follows, and once the customer gives final approval, the powder coating will be produced in larger quantities, preferably in amounts that meet the job’s exact needs. This allows the customer and company to save money and materials.
Now you know how custom color matching in powder coating works. If you have further inquiries about sandblasting and powder coating as well as our other services, contact us today!