What is a mark on matte car paint?
Matte paint looks flat because its top layer is textured to scatter light. It must never be polished or waxed. Polishing flattens that texture and leaves a shiny patch. So the normal fix for a scratch is the one thing that must not happen here.
What kind of repair does it need?
Painting the panel. Matte cannot be polished to blend a repair in, because polishing raises the gloss. So the new paint's sheen has to be matched as it is sprayed, and checked on test panels first.
Matte and satin cannot be polished, so there is no cheaper step to try first. The panel is sprayed again, with the sheen checked on test panels first. It needs a shop certified for matte work.
What to do next
Choose a shop that talks about matte or satin work without being prompted. Ask if they will spray the whole panel. If they want to spot repair and blend it, go elsewhere. Do not let anyone near it with a polishing machine. Never use cutting compound, wax or polish on it yourself.
Sources
- PPG / Mercedes-Benzpaint maker
No possibilities exist to polish out dirt or imperfections in the finished clear, as this will increase the gloss level.
- I-CAR RTSindustry training body
A major aspect of success on semi-gloss or matte clearcoat is matching the gloss level.
- Kiacar maker
Rub/blemish marks, and shiny spots are likely to require repainting at a matte paint certified body shop.
- BMWBlogmedia
matte paint appears flat because of imperfections in the clear coat layer.
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