How to Touch Up Chipped Paint Like a Pro

You don't need to repaint a whole wall for a few chips and scuffs. But touch up badly and it looks worse than the damage. Here's how to do it properly.

The Blending Problem

Why touch-ups often show:

• Wrong colour (even from same tin)
• Different sheen
• Thick edges
• Wrong technique
• Paint has aged (original wall is faded)

The goal: Make the repair invisible from normal viewing distance.

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Before You Start

Find the Right Paint

Ideal: Original paint from the same batch, stored properly.

Next best: Same brand, colour, and finish - recently bought.

Tricky: If you don't have the original, you'll need to colour match. Take a chip or sample to a paint shop with a spectrophotometer.

Reality check: If the walls were painted years ago, even perfect colour match might show because the existing paint has faded. Sometimes touch-up is noticeable and you need to repaint the whole wall.

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Small Chips and Scuffs

What You Need

• Matching paint
• Small artist's brush or touch-up brush
• Fine sandpaper (180-220 grit)
• Clean cloth
• Small container

Method

1. Clean the area - Wipe with damp cloth, let dry completely

2. Sand lightly - Take the edge off any raised paint. Feather out the edges so there's no hard line

3. Stir the paint - Really stir it. Separated paint won't match

4. Dab, don't brush - Load brush lightly, dab paint onto the damage. Building up thin layers

5. Feather the edges - At the boundary, spread paint thin so there's no hard edge

6. Let dry, assess - It'll look different wet. Wait for it to dry before adding more

7. Light second coat - If needed, another thin coat after the first is dry

Common Mistakes

• Too much paint - Thick blobs don't blend
• Brushing out - Creates visible strokes
• Not feathering - Hard edges are obvious
• Wrong sheen - Matt on silk or vice versa

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Filling Dents and Holes First

If there's a dent or hole, not just missing paint:

1. Fill with filler - Use lightweight filler for small holes
2. Overfill slightly - Filler shrinks
3. Sand when dry - Smooth to wall level
4. Prime - Filler absorbs differently; prime with diluted paint or actual primer
5. Then paint - As above

For deep holes: Fill in layers, letting each dry.

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Larger Areas

For scuffs bigger than a 50p coin:

Method 1: Feathered Touch-Up

1. Sand the damaged area and surrounding paint (create a feathered edge)
2. Prime any bare spots
3. Paint in layers, feathering out 50-100mm beyond the damage
4. Each coat should extend slightly less far than the last

Method 2: Cut Back to Natural Break

If the damage is near a corner or edge:

1. Mask along the natural break (corner, edge, coving)
2. Repaint from break to break
3. This gives a clean edge that doesn't need blending

Method 3: Repaint the Wall

Sometimes this is the only answer. If:

• Multiple touch-ups needed
• Original paint has faded significantly
• Touch-ups keep showing

...it's quicker and better to do the whole wall.

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Different Surfaces

Matt Walls

Easiest to touch up. Matt hides imperfections and blends better.

Silk/Satin Walls

Harder. Sheen differences show. Apply very thin coats and feather carefully.

Woodwork

Gloss: Very hard to touch up invisibly. Consider repainting whole section.

Satinwood: Slightly easier than gloss. Still tricky.

Tip for woodwork: Sand the whole section lightly, touch up the damage, then apply a very light coat over the whole surface. This evens out the sheen.

Ceilings

Often easier because you don't look directly at them. Standard touch-up technique works.

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Pro Tips

Same Sheen is Critical

Matt, silk, satin, eggshell - make sure your touch-up paint matches exactly. Different sheens are instantly visible.

Thin Coats Always

Multiple thin coats beat one thick coat. Every time.

Use the Right Applicator

• Tiny chips: Artist brush or corner of a sponge
• Small areas: Touch-up brush
• Larger areas: Mini roller (same nap as original application)

Test First

If you're not sure of the match, test somewhere hidden - inside a cupboard or behind furniture.

Accept Good Enough

Some touch-ups will be visible up close but fine from across the room. That's usually acceptable.

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When to Give Up and Repaint

Touch-up won't work well when:

• Paint is heavily faded
• Walls have texture the touch-up won't match
• Multiple repairs needed across the wall
• You can't match the original colour
• It's gloss or high-sheen

The calculation: Three hours attempting touch-ups that don't work = you could have repainted the wall.

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Keeping Paint for Touch-Ups

Store properly:

• Sealed tin (bash lid down firmly)
• Cool, dark place
• Away from frost
• Label with room and date

Paint life: Properly stored water-based paint lasts 2-3 years. Oil-based longer.

Decant tip: Pour some into a small jar for touch-ups. Easier than opening and resealing the big tin repeatedly.

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Need touch-ups done properly? I do paint repairs and touch-ups across Exeter. Call 01392 964094 or get a quote.