DIY guide

How to use touch-up paint

A stone chip is a hole through the layers of your car's paint. Rebuild them in the right order and it all but disappears — here's how, step by step.

  • 6 steps
  • about 30 min of work
  • plus drying time
Clear lacquerGloss and protection
Colour (base coat)Your paint code
PrimerGrips the metal, stops rust
Metal panelRusts if a chip goes down to here
A stone chip knocks out the lacquer and colour — sometimes the primer too. A good repair rebuilds each layer, thinly.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Get the exact colour

    Find your paint code — on the label on the car, or by registration. The colour on your logbook is not enough: one model can come in several shades of the same colour.

    Check whether the code is a solid, metallic or pearl finish: metallics and pearls need lacquer on top.

  2. 2

    Clean and degrease

    Wash the area, dry it, then wipe it with a panel wipe or isopropyl alcohol so there is no wax or polish left. Paint will not stick to wax.

  3. 3

    Treat bare metal

    Pick out any loose paint. If you can see bare or rusty metal, clean it back and apply a thin coat of primer first, then let it dry.

    Skip primer and a chip on bare metal will rust under the new paint.

  4. 4

    Build the colour in thin coats

    Dab — don’t brush — the colour into the chip with the pen tip or a fine brush. Several thin coats, drying between each as the tin says, beat one thick blob.

    Shake the pen or bottle well, for a minute or more: metallic flakes settle.

  5. 5

    Lacquer

    Once the colour is dry, add clear lacquer over the repair. It gives the gloss and protects the colour; most modern cars have a clear coat.

  6. 6

    Level and polish (optional)

    After the paint has fully hardened — the product will say how long — a fine polish can blend the edge. Leave waxing the area for a few weeks.

What to buy for your damage

Stone chipSmaller than a match headTouch-up paint pen
ScratchCatches your fingernailTouch-up kit with primer and lacquer
Scuffed bumper or cornerArea bigger than a coinAerosol + prep, or SMART repair
Dent or damaged panelMetal is deformedSMART repair or bodyshop

Common mistakes

  • Working in direct sun, cold or damp — paint dries badly and can bloom.
  • Using the colour name instead of the paint code — “silver” is dozens of shades.
  • One thick coat — it sits proud and shows. Thin coats, patience.
  • Painting over rust — treat it first or it comes back through.

Touch-up paint questions

Should I use a touch-up pen or a brush?

A pen suits small stone chips; a fine brush or the kit’s applicator is better for scratches and for building layers. For anything bigger than a coin, an aerosol or a SMART repairer gives a better finish.

Do I need primer?

Only where the chip has gone through to bare metal or plastic. On an intact primer layer you can go straight to colour.

Do I need lacquer?

For metallic and pearl paints, yes. Most modern solid colours are lacquered too; lacquer makes the repair match the gloss around it.

How do I find my paint code?

Look for the label on the car or enter your registration on this site. Never buy by colour name alone.

Can't find the label? Where the paint code is on each make

General guidance. Always follow the instructions on the product you use.