Auto Refinish: Are You A Custom Painter?

Auto Refinish: Are You A Custom Painter?

What constitutes custom paint? And what’s the difference between custom painting and collision painting?

Courtesy of Body Shop Business

If you’re reading this, you’re likely in the automotive industry. If you’re in the industry, you’re likely a gearhead. As a gearhead, you’ve probably seen all manner of “custom paint.”

Before we get into what constitutes custom paint, I think we first need to pay respect to the father of custom paint, Jon Kosmoski. Most of you have probably heard of House of Kolor as a supplier of custom colors and products — Mr. K started the business in 1956. Let that sink in for a minute. 

The year 1956 was when we developed the polio vaccine. It’s when President Eisenhower signed legislation from Congress making “In God We Trust” America’s national motto. Elvis Presley made his television debut in 1956. And I wasn’t even a glimmer in my father’s eye. 

But Jon Kosmoski was getting after it in the paint shop. Remarkably, he’s still involved with the House of Kolor brand to this day. It’s possible we would never have heard of Craig Fraser, Chip Foose, Ron Finch or a truckload of other custom painters and instructors, such as Paul Stoll, Marlene Spence and Gene Fenske, had it not been for Jon Kosmoski. (My apologies to all the great painters and instructors I failed to mention).

When we see the work of the greats, we know we’re looking at custom paint work, and these days it isn’t always House of Kolor products they’re using. PPG has Vibrance, Axalta has Hot Hues, BASF has Carizzma. Even aside from those “custom” offerings, we see “candy” type mid-coats in the standard paint lines from nearly every automobile manufacturer. It could be argued that yesteryear’s custom colors become tomorrow’s factory offerings. This is certainly true in regard to the three-stage pearls as well and the low- and no-gloss finishes. We’re even seeing some colors from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that are reproduced in a four-stage process by some paint manufacturers on the refinish side. I would suggest that while it’s not what first comes to mind when we think of custom paint, it could be argued that those colors are custom paint work that have been standardized. 

You May Also Like

Automotive Painting: It’s Still a Good Trade

The industry continues to be a good trade for students out of high school.

Courtesy of BodyShop Business, by Carl Wilson

When my father got started in the collision repair business in the late 1940s, the body technicians were known as metal men and they were predominately combo guys — meaning they took the job start-to-finish, painting what they repaired. And they repaired more than they replaced. Body filler as we know it today had yet to be invented; his body filler was lead.

Vehicle Scanning & Calibration Technology

Scan tools and calibration equipment have come a long way as far as ease of operation and ability to access the vehicle.

The Science Behind Vehicle Appearance Products

A clean car is worth more to the owner but also will preserve and maintain the vehicle longer.

Proper Paint Prep: Foundational Integrity

Stay faithful to these paint prep fundamentals, and you’ll be able to avoid redos and comebacks.

Auto Body Welding: Check OEM Procedures and Test Weld

Don’t just grab and go; are you looking up the OEM procedures before welding?

Other Posts

Techs Rock Candidate Profiles – Collision, Restoration & Welding

Today’s profiles highlight passionate people who bring vehicles back to life.

Aluminum Panel Dent Repair

For a complete, safe and quality repair, it’s important to understand the considerations involved with repairing aluminum.

The Myth Of Scratches, Swirls And Carwashes

While an automatic carwash can get the blame, scratches actually form while the car is getting dirty.

PPG Adds Online Training For Commercial Vehicle Paint Techs

Wide variety of instructional videos added to PPG Knowledge College enable viewers to learn at their own pace, schedule.