Short answer: you can colour match RAPTOR paint, but you need the right product, the right tints, and realistic expectations. RAPTOR is a textured, durable polyurethane coating, so getting a “same-panel” invisible match like a basecoat-and-clear finish is rarely possible. With the tintable version, careful mixing, and proper spray technique, you can get very close, often close enough that no one will notice. Here’s how to do it properly and what can trip you up.
Short Answer: Yes—With Important Caveats
If you’re using tintable RAPTOR and a quality automotive basecoat system, you can achieve a close colour match to most OEM solid colours and many fleet colours. The catch is that RAPTOR’s texture, sheen, and film build change how the eye reads colour. Even with a perfect formula, a heavy orange-peel texture can make a colour look darker: a finer texture can make it look lighter.
Set your expectations based on the job:
- Same-panel perfection: unlikely, especially on large flat areas.
- Panel-to-panel match using natural breaks: very achievable with good prep and blending.
- Metallics/pearls: you can get “in the family,” but flake orientation and texture mean it won’t mimic a smooth basecoat/clear.
Bottom line: yes, you can colour match RAPTOR paint, and with the right process, you’ll get a professional, cohesive result that doesn’t draw the eye for the wrong reasons.
How Colour Matching RAPTOR Works
Pre-Tinted Versus Tintable RAPTOR
RAPTOR comes in pre-tinted options (commonly black and white) and a tintable version. For colour matching, you want tintable RAPTOR. It’s designed to accept solvent-borne automotive basecoat tint so you can reproduce OEM and custom colours. Pre-tinted RAPTOR is great for speed and repeatability, but obviously you’re locked to those colours.
Using Automotive Basecoat Tints And Ratios
You’ll typically mix tintable RAPTOR at 3:1 (RAPTOR:hardener) with the option to add up to around 10% reducer for flow and atomisation, check the product sheet for your ambient conditions. Colour is introduced using solvent-borne automotive basecoat (not water-based) according to the manufacturer’s guidance, commonly up to about 10% by volume of colour to the RAPTOR component before hardener. Staying within these limits preserves curing, durability, and UV resistance.
Stir thoroughly and consistently. Incomplete mixing creates streaks and subtle hue shifts from one bottle to the next. If you’re doing a big job, intermix bottles for batch consistency.
Spectrophotometer Matches And Paint Codes
For the initial colour, you can provide an OEM paint code to your paint supplier, or ask for a spectrophotometer read from a clean, representative panel. Spectro reads often beat old codes on weathered vehicles because they account for fade. Have your supplier mix a basecoat formula for tinting RAPTOR. Then validate with spray-outs (on RAPTOR, not just on a smooth card) to confirm the perceived colour, since texture affects the look.
What You Can And Can’t Match
Solid Colours Versus Metallics And Pearls
Solid colours are the easiest to match in RAPTOR. You can usually get very close, especially with correct texture and sheen. Metallics and pearls are a different story: RAPTOR’s textured surface scatters light and disrupts flake orientation. Even if the hue is right, the effect will differ from a smooth base/clear. If you must match a metallic, aim for harmony rather than perfection, use panel breaks and don’t place RAPTOR and glossy metallic on the same contiguous surface.
Gloss Level, Texture, And Perceived Colour
Colour is not just pigment. Gloss level and texture change how dark or light a surface appears. A coarse texture and lower gloss will read darker: a finer texture and higher gloss read lighter. Because RAPTOR is adjustable, from fine to aggressive texture, you need to finalise your gun setup and distance first, then tint to match how that texture reads under light. Don’t match on a smooth card and then spray a heavy texture: it’ll look off.
Ageing, UV Stability, And Batch Variation
Older vehicles fade. Two cars with the same paint code may be half a shade apart. RAPTOR is UV resistant, but the basecoat you add and the substrate you’re matching may have aged differently. Also, slight variation between batches is normal in any coating system. Always create a spray-out using the exact batch, mix ratio, and texture you’ll apply on the vehicle, and compare under daylight, shop light, and a cool white LED. Accept that the “perfect” match lives within a tolerance band.
Application Variables That Shift Colour
Mix Ratios, Reducers, And Pot Life
Changing the amount of reducer affects flow, texture, and eventually perceived colour. More reducer generally lays flatter and can look lighter: less reducer can leave a coarser texture that reads darker. Stick to a documented ratio, and mix enough for the whole job to avoid shade drift. Mind pot life, spraying at the tail end of pot life can alter viscosity and texture.
Gun Setup, Air Pressure, And Distance
Nozzle size, air pressure, and distance dramatically influence texture build. A larger tip and lower pressure lay down heavier texture: higher pressure and closer distance can flatten it out. Test and lock your settings before matching colour. If you change gun distance midway through a job, you may accidentally create a panel that looks a half-shade different.
Texture Build, Film Thickness, And Coverage
RAPTOR covers differently than basecoat. Heavy coats deepen colour: thin coats can look washed out. Aim for consistent film thickness across panels. Count your passes, keep your overlap consistent, and let flash times stabilise. If you need two wet passes to achieve coverage on the spray-out, do the same on the vehicle.
Step-By-Step: Getting The Closest Match
Select Tintable RAPTOR And Gather A Clean Sample
Choose tintable RAPTOR for colour matching. Clean and decontaminate a representative area of the vehicle (or remove a fuel flap/trimmed panel) for reading. Avoid areas that have been polished thin, resprayed, or heavily weathered if you want the OEM tone: if you want a “lived-in” match, pick the area most visible next to the RAPTOR.
Request A Mix From Codes Or A Spectro Read
Take the paint code or the physical sample to your paint supplier. Ask for a solvent-borne automotive basecoat formula suitable for tinting RAPTOR. Confirm allowable tint percentage and reducer choice. If available, request two variants: code-accurate and spectro-adjusted for fade. Label them clearly.
Spray-Out Cards, Adjustments, And Approval Under Multiple Lights
Do spray-outs on RAPTOR texture, not just smooth cards. Prime a few cards or panels, apply RAPTOR with your exact gun setup, and test each formula. Let them cure properly. Evaluate under daylight, warm shop lighting, and cool LED. If it’s a touch dark, consider slightly increasing reducer to refine texture or ask the supplier for a half-step lighter variant. Once you’re happy, record the exact mix, reducer percentage, gun settings, air pressure, tip size, distance, and passes. That’s your job sheet.
Repairs, Blends, And Touch-Ups
Choosing Panel Breaks And Natural Stop Lines
The cleanest colour match happens when you use natural breaks: bed rails, body swage lines, bumpers, arches, sill steps, roof gutters. These lines reset the viewer’s eye, so a 2–3% hue or value difference becomes invisible. Avoid stopping mid-panel unless you’re fully re-texturing the entire area.
Blending Into Adjacent Areas For Seamless Results
If you’re repairing a section, taper your texture and colour into the adjacent area rather than a hard edge. Feather the final pass to soften the transition. On larger repairs, recoat the whole panel to unify texture and gloss. If the neighbouring panel is smooth paint, keep a clear visual break (a trim piece or seam) between finishes.
Spot Repairs, Aerosols, And Compatible Topcoats
Small chips and scuffs can be addressed with RAPTOR aerosols or by decanting and airbrushing, but expect minor texture and sheen differences. For custom effects, you can clearcoat over RAPTOR with a compatible 2K clear to alter gloss and improve cleanability, test first, as increasing gloss will change perceived colour. Always confirm compatibility between systems and maintain the same prep profile so adhesion isn’t compromised.