Can you fix faded paint?


Recently someone asked me,

Can faded paint be fixed?


When it comes to basecoat/clearcoat paints, the answer is "no". The reason why is because when it comes to a basecoat/clearcoat paint system you have the basecoat or the colored portion of the paint UNDER a clear layer of paint. The clear layer does not fade. The clear layer can become dull or less clear due to swirls and scratches, which makes the clear layer of paint opaque, but technically, because the clear layer has no pigment or colorant, there's nothing in the clear layer that can fade.


Now the basecoat layer does have pigment or colorant and when exposed to UV rays from sunlight over time, the basecoat can fade. Because it's under the clear layer of paint you and I cannot polish on it to remove the fade. So if you have a car with a basecoat/clearcoat paint system and somewhere on the car there is paint fading, there's nothing you can do to undo the fading damage.


Here's an example,






Faded paint that mimics the Peace Sign from a sticker





So if you have a business sign on the side of your car or on a door and it's there for years, chances are if it's removed, the basecoat under the clearcoat will likely be permanently faded and I'm sorry to say that the fading damage cannot be undone.