Mark Simpson

Color Deficiency and Paint Colors

Mark Simpson
Duration:   6  mins

Description

Color deficiency, also referred to as color blindness, can have several effects on individuals when selecting classic car automotive paint colors. Color deficiency is a visual impairment that affects a person’s ability to perceive certain colors accurately, primarily due to differences in the photoreceptor cells in the retina. There are different types of color deficiency, but the most common form is red-green color blindness. Paint expert Terry Wright joins us in the shop for some simple tests to determine color deficiencies and understanding how these limitations can affect us in the shop.

Here are some ways color deficiency can impact the selection of classic car automotive paint colors:

1. Limited Color Discrimination: Color-deficient individuals may have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors, particularly reds and greens. This can make it challenging to select paint colors that require precise differentiation between shades or hues.

2. Mismatched Color Coordination: When choosing colors for a classic car’s exterior or interior, it’s crucial to ensure that they complement each other aesthetically. Color-deficient individuals may struggle to identify complementary or harmonious color combinations, leading to mismatched or clashing paint choices.

3. Reduced Color Variety: Color-blind individuals may limit themselves to a narrower range of colors that they can confidently identify. This can result in a limited selection of paint colors, potentially missing out on unique or striking choices.

4. Dependence on Assistance: Color-deficient individuals might need assistance from someone with normal color vision when making paint color selections. Relying on others for input can be inconvenient and may not always yield the desired personal preferences.

5. Unintentional Mistakes: Color-deficient individuals may unintentionally choose colors that appear different from what they intended due to their difficulty in accurately perceiving color distinctions. This can lead to dissatisfaction with the final appearance of the classic car.

To mitigate the effects of color deficiency when selecting classic car automotive paint colors, individuals with this condition can consider the following strategies:

1. Use Color-Matching Tools: There are color-matching tools and devices available that can help identify and match specific colors accurately. These tools can assist in choosing paint colors that align with the desired aesthetic.

2. Seek Expert Advice: Consulting with automotive experts, painters, or designers who have experience with classic cars can provide valuable guidance in selecting suitable paint colors.

3. Sample Testing: Before committing to a particular paint color, consider applying samples to a small area of the car or using test panel spray outs to assess how the colors appear in different lighting conditions.

4. Trust Personal Preferences: While color deficiency can pose challenges, it’s essential to trust your personal preferences and instincts when selecting classic car paint colors. What matters most is that you’re satisfied with the car’s appearance.

In summary, color deficiency can affect the selection of classic car automotive paint colors by limiting color discrimination, potentially leading to mismatched or limited choices. However, with the use of color-matching tools, expert advice, sample testing, and personal preference, individuals with color deficiency can still make informed and satisfying paint color selections for their classic cars.

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When painting your classic car, whether you're painting the entire car or just refinishing a panel, you know, there's a lot of variables that can be created by just the painter himself and not necessarily the mix of the paint. So because there's so many unforeseen kind of changes that a painter can make that will affect color. We're here with Terry Wright to help us make sense of what these situations are and some possible solutions for them. That's right. Mark. Uh Something we don't really think about is how we see color. Many of us have some sort of color deficiency, one in 12 males and one in 250 females are afflicted. Understanding this can help how we verify color. Let's take a short test to see how we do and I'm up for it. Yeah, I haven't been tested in a while. So let's go hard. So what I have here is color deficiency tests and you're gonna see a circle with a bunch of dots in it, colored dots, hopefully. And you're gonna tell me what number you see in there. Yep. And then I'm gonna go to another slide that will show that, uh, what the result should be and what you might see and there's a, I don't know, a dozen slides or so, we'll just go through it and see what you see. Ok. So don't think about it too long. Just tell me what you see. Ok, here we go. Let's start. 12, 12 is correct. So, if you have a red and green deficiency, you should still see a 12. Here. It might be kind of a gray shade, but you should still see a 12. So that's how it's kind of gonna kind of go. It's gonna be the one you, what you should see and then what you might see. Ok. Next one looks like a number eight and you're correct. That was an eight. Uh, if you see a three, you might have a red and green deficiency. We, we tend to have red and green deficiencies. If any color family at all, it's usually red and green. So that's, you'll, you'll hear that repeated quite a bit. Next 155, it is normal to see a five. You may see a two oh, next one looks like 29 29. That is correct. Some may see a 70. Huh? And if you look at it now you might be able to try to see how that could happen next 74 74. Is it? Hm deficiency? You would see a 21 next seven seven. It is. If you have a deficiency. You may not see that at all. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah. I don't want you guys to get discouraged here if you're not seeing these. This is not unusual one in 12 males. Yeah. 45 45. That is correct. And again, you may not see a number at all. Next number two, two is correct. And again, you may not see anything. Hm. I see. Nothing. Looks like a bunch of squiggly lines. This is where we're trip you up. Oh, here we go. No, there wasn't anything. But you may see a number two in there. If you have a deficiency. If you do, you might see a two next one. This looks like a 16 and you are correct. Again, nothing. You won't see anything on this one. There's two XS and I want you in your mind to draw a line from X to X. Ok. You got that in your mind. Doesn't look like that exactly like that. Ok. Good. How about this next slide? 35. Ok. It is 35. Now, if you have a strong red deficiency, you'd see a five. If you have a strong green deficiency, you'll see a three next one 96. That is correct. 96. Again, the same strong red deficiency. You see a six, strong green, you see a nine and this one draw two lines from X to X. Got it in your mind. Ok. Does it look like that? R I uh if you see a, if you see purple, you have a red deficiency, you see a red, you have a green deficiency. And I believe that might conclude our test right there. I passed the test then. Did you, you did? I think you did. So mark the reason why I ran you through that test is I'll have some painters that I deal with that honestly can't see color very well. So what this does, it helps me determine if they do have a color deficiency and it's just a baby. It's not the really definitive test, but it's enough to know if he might be not seen the same color as I'm seen or somebody without a deficiency. And it really helps kind of clear the the path to see if there's an issue there having a baseline, uh understand how, how a painter would perceive color may be a first step into resolving if the issue is his perception of it or whether it's, you know, an actual problem with this paint or the application technique, right? There's no doubt you need to get that one out of the way. And I have had uh a handful of color deficient painters in my lifetime. So, um yeah, you do need to get that clear that up right out of the way, right off the bat and uh make sure that's not the problem before you go deeper. Great and, and all good advice and you know, that way when you uh you go into the shop, you know, you know what to expect. If you know what your limitations are, you know, what to expect and what to accommodate and getting a perfect match on your classic car then.
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