Home / PPF Guides / Color PPF decision
Key takeaways
- Keep product identity and panel scope as separate fields.
- Show the original product and replacement product together.
- Update the named finish, sample reference and photo reference.
- Retain the existing panel map when coverage has not changed.
- Send the revised record before the project moves forward.
What is a selected-product change?
A selected-product change happens when the vehicle and planned panels stay the same, while the named Color PPF option changes. For example, a record may start with 3066 – Metallic Black and later move to 3075 – Super Black. The useful response is a short revised record that preserves the original selection and shows the replacement beside it.
Keep this separate from a change to coverage. The Color PPF scope-change article addresses revised panels. This article keeps the panel map in place and changes only the named product identity, its physical sample reference and its supporting vehicle photos.
Vehicle: customer’s SUV
Panel scope: existing full-vehicle panel map remains in place
Original selection: 3066 – Metallic Black
Replacement selection: 3075 – Super Black
What moves with the replacement: product page, physical sample reference, current vehicle-photo set and selection date.
Manufacturers keep product resources at the product-family and finish level. XPEL’s specification library, for example, separates Color PPF gloss and satin documents. 3M’s installer resources similarly organize product bulletins and selectors. Those libraries are examples of document organization; they are not NEOPPF specifications.
What does the record look like?
The record needs one clear comparison row. It makes the change readable in a message, a project folder or a customer-facing PDF. The old product remains visible so the new choice has context.
| Record field | Original selection | Replacement selection |
|---|---|---|
| Named product | 3066 – Metallic Black | 3075 – Super Black |
| Product page | 3066 listing | 3075 listing |
| Finish description | Metallic Black | Super Black |
| Physical sample | Original identified sample reference | Replacement identified sample reference |
| Vehicle photos | Original observation set | Replacement observation set |
| Panel scope | Retained current panel map | Retained current panel map |
Use the exact same identity fields found in a product-page check, a sample request and a product-document revision check. A consistent row structure makes it simpler to find the right sample and document later.
Which fields stay and which fields change?
When the panel map has not moved, retain it with the original vehicle reference. Replace the fields that identify the chosen material. This keeps the update concise and prevents product selection from being confused with a coverage decision.
| Retain | Update | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle and VIN or internal project reference, if used | Product name and code | Links the change to the same project |
| Panel map and coverage boundary | Finish name and product-page URL | Separates appearance choice from scope |
| Original selection row | Sample and photo reference | Keeps the visual decision traceable |
| Existing project contact | Selection date and source message | Shows when and how the choice changed |
If the product change also introduces a new visible boundary, use a separate seam preview. If a bumper is part of the discussion, the front-bumper preview keeps that vehicle view clear. Keeping those records focused avoids one crowded sheet trying to answer every project question.
How should the revised note read?
Use one plain sentence that makes the change visible at a glance. For example: “On October 4, the selected film changed from 3066 – Metallic Black to 3075 – Super Black. Vehicle reference and panel map version 3 remain the same. The attached Super Black sample and photo set replace the earlier Metallic Black references.” The sentence gives the customer and the shop the same before-and-after view without burying the decision in a long message thread.
Below that note, place the two product-page links, the sample references and the photo-set version. A reader should be able to open the current product listing, find the physical piece that was compared and see the vehicle angle used for the choice. Keep the original row in place, mark the replacement row with its selection date and retain the panel-map version beside both. If the panel map later changes, add a separate scope update instead of rewriting the product-selection note. That keeps one material decision easy to read from the next appearance or coverage decision.
The handoff can stay simple: send the updated row, the panel-map version and the replacement sample reference in one message or PDF. The recipient can then compare product identity first and panel scope second, which makes a selected-film change clear even when several vehicle images are attached. Include the earlier row beneath the new row, so a later reader sees the direction of the decision immediately. It also reduces the chance that a photo or a sample is filed under the wrong product name.
Before sending, compare the label on every attached image with the replacement row. The product code, finish name and photo-set version should point to the same selected option. This small check keeps the revised record easy to follow when it is opened later by a customer, project manager or installer.
How do samples and photos stay connected?
Attach the new product code to the new physical sample, then attach a short photo set taken from useful vehicle views. For the sample record, include the product page, finish name, date and one note on the setting used for viewing. For the photo record, include the vehicle side or angle and the version date.
For an owner, the existing photo comparison article and white-match article reinforce a practical point: an identified physical sample and a dated vehicle view are more useful together than a color nickname alone. For a shop, the dealer reorder checklist, multi-roll project record, incoming-roll check and handover checklist show where the named product needs to stay visible across the project.
Use Project Collaboration to start a documented discussion, then keep the revised product row alongside the current panel map.
What happens after the revised record is sent?
External reading: Avery Dennison PrismaPro PDS, Revision 0, May 15 2026; 3M Vehicle Color Change Instruction Bulletin, Revision A, December 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What stays in the record when only the Color PPF product changes?
Keep the original vehicle, panel map, coverage boundary and record reference. Add the outgoing product and the replacement product side by side so the change is visible.
Which fields need a fresh value?
Update the product code, product name, finish, product-page URL, physical sample reference, photo reference, selection date and the person or message that requested the new choice.
Should a shop replace the original product row?
Keep it as the prior selection and add a dated replacement row. A visible before-and-after record makes it easier for the customer and shop to read the project history.
Does a new Color PPF product automatically change the panel scope?
No. Treat product identity and panel scope as separate fields. If the scope also changes, record that separately with a revised panel map.
What should be sent with the revised selection?
Send the revised named-product record with the existing panel map, the new physical sample reference and the current vehicle photo reference. The customer can then see exactly what changed.
0 comments