Mazda touch up paint.
 

What is the best way to apply this stuff so it doesn't look like crap?

There are some places where the past owner used with this stuff to cover up small chips and they stick out like crazy. I tried on one small piece and it looks like crap. I know this stuff isn't suppose to make it perfect but is there something I can do to at least make it blend in a bit better?

Use a paper match end (holds the paint more evenly than the included brush) and build up layers rather than a single blob. Not for the patience challenged (myself included).
Some peeps even use a syringe.

Alas it's hard to make it look as good as the pristine paint coat, but it's better than primer blotches.

it looks like the previous owner put it on WAY to thick in certain spots. It makes the paint almost look greenish (which is why it sticks out alot)

I'll have to try to match thing on some of the smaller spots I noticed while washing the car on Saturday.

The Mazda touch-up paint that comes in those little bottles is terrible, horrible paint. More like crappy fingernail polish. It takes multiple applications, sometimes four, five, or six. I try and get it higher than the surrounding paint, then wet-sand it down and buff it out. Only good for small pits, IMO. I eventually had some 2-stage, high quality catalyzed paint matched after dealing with the touch-up paint once too often.

+1 for getting some paint mixed for you from an automotive paint store.

yea the mazda stuff is crap for real and its not even a perfect match for some reason.

I plan on buying some Dr. ColorChip soon. I haven't been able to find anything about it on this forum, but Mr. Google led me to a few other places where people seemed to think it was pretty decent. I figure for $40, it's worth a shot.

^ Me Too! I want to try, but for now use the mazda OEM touch-up pen, let it dry for a few minutes and with a blue paper shop towel with some isopropyl alcohol I lightly wipe off the excess paint from the clear coat, for deep chips you may need three to four coats to build to the surface. Then after the paint is dry you can add clear coat also in the other end of the pen. Myself I just re-wax the area!

know this old but I finally got around to trying the touch up paint again.

The match end actually worked rather well to make sure you only get small amounts in at a time. It took a couple applications to make it work but the color still looks a bit off. Like above it's kinda blue green and not blue. I should try to take a picture, specially of the spots the previous owner tried to fix. I would be nice to figure out how to make it look better without spending $$$

I'm going to give the Doc ColorChip a try myself near future. It's got to be better than the Mazda touchup.

how did doc colorchip work out?

^ I haven't done it yet, but in a few weeks ....

did u get this at the dealer? never seen this before but it looks good.

^ direct from http://www.drcolorchip.com/

If your speaking of the touch-up pen, yes you get them at dealer around 12 bucks here in Canada probably cheaper in the U.S. every thing is cheaper in the U.S. Still have not tried Dr. Colorchip maybe this summer.

Yea, let me know how it turns out bro. It's an interesting theory. As you know, I've done my own repair work. ;)

Dr. Altspace has mad skilz! ;)

I know my way around a buffer. LOL!

touch-up paint
 

I agree the Mazda stuff is crap... dealer touchup usually is. A lot of online retailers sell touchup in a wider variety of shades so you can better match up to your car.

Btw, nice tip on the bottom of a paper match! i'll def be using that

^+1 mazda touch up paint is garbage, looking forward to Dr. Colorchip results

Any updates on Dr. Colorchip?

Not if you know how to use it properly.

I was gonna say, my bottle of OEM touchup works great. Lightning Yellow and you can't tell where I've been, even if you knew where the pit was before I got there.

just get a very small paint brush and work very little by little.

The downside to the touchup paint is that it's just the colored paint and has no clearcoat capability and therefore of course doesn't perceptually match 100%. I believe that's why folks think it's 'garbage.' It is what it is, as all touchup paint, and far better than naked chips.