Unpopular opinion: factory blend ratios are killing more paint jobs than bad prep
Been doing collision work in Phoenix for 11 years now, and I keep seeing guys chase the OEM mixing guide exactly, then complain about a pearl mismatch that my 5 percent extra reducer fixed on the third try, so why are we still treating the book like it's gospel instead of reading the panel at 2 PM with a sun gun?
The thing nobody talks about is how the toners themselves changed. I've got a Dupont rep who flat out told me the same code number can swing 2 to 3 shades batch to batch depending on where it was made and how long it sat in the warehouse. So you can mix the book ratio perfect on one can and be off on the next one from the same jobber. Corner shops that buy small amounts at a time get hit worst because their toner is older and settled. Reading the panel beats reading the paper every time because the paper assumes fresh product that matches the chip. Half the mismatch guys blame on prep is really just dead toner.