There are a lot of people that want to paint their car because they have a dent or scratch and rather then take it in to a professional shop they want to spray paint it from a $5 rattle can.

Honestly I have to tell you that with only one exception the paint that you get out of a spray paint can will not last the way professional paint does.

In addition to the fact that your paint is will to go dull and peal off you have color matching problems that you can’t find in a can.

Color Matching is a difficult thing to do for professionals. Actually most professionals don’t match paint they fade it from one color (the original) to another color (the paint they are spraying) and hope that your eye can’t tell the difference.

When you fade in a new panel or spot repair it takes about half a panel just to get the fade to blend and then the paint required for the repair. So if you are painting a brand new front fender you will need to blend the door and the hood fade other parts that are attached.

This is difficult to do when you have a full cup / 18 ounces of paint to work with and near impossible when you have only an ounce or two of workable paint in a spray can .. because spray can paint is very very thing and requires a lot of solvent to get it out of the can.

With that said … YES you can paint a repair with a spray can and you can even paint a full car with the garbage paint that you can get in a can at your local home center or general auto parts store but you really do not want to do this unless you are just protecting an area from rust or making something that looks really really bad look somewhat acceptable for a few months or so.

Are there professional options for spray can paint?

Yes auto body supply stores do sell some limited amounts of professional grade spray paint but it is much more expensive then what you get at supermart..

If you have a damaged area that has problems you can repair with an air brush and a half pint of professional paint or if you can get a really close matching color for an area that normally does not show .. like rust under your door you can finish that area with spot clear.

Spot clear is a urethane product with a hardener.

On the bottom of the spray can is a button that brakes a vile of hardener in the can.

You then mix the hardener in the can by shaking and apply the paint.

There are also a limited number of colors you can purchase that use the same method.

AND IF YOU ARE VERY LUCKY the auto body store in your area works with a lot of detailers and can actually mix a paint and place it in a hand produced spray can. Expect to pay a lot for this service but the paint you get in the can will work just like any other professional auto paint.

Final Note on Spray Can Paint in Automotive Painting

Spray paint does have its place. If you are a car owner and have a rust problem or dent you can use a spray can primer but for the finish coat you really need professional grade Urethane or Enamel with a Hardener.

Anything less will cause you problems in a few months.

You can also pickup touchup paint with a small brush to fix chips. The results will not be perfect but it is better then allowing a rust spot to grow into a larger repair.

And if you have a small compressor at home you can use an Air Brush in almost every setting. If you can use a spray can you can use an air brush to spray paint you mix yourself.

Air Brushes are not that expensive but hobby shop compressors are not worth your time. You need a compressor with a tank so fork out $100 if you want or rent one for the weekend.