Darker paint tends to fade over time, making the correct touch-up color look darker than the paint surrounding it. Matching paint colors on a coach more than a year or so old can sometimes be a challenge.
You may need to get some white touch-up paint and use a little of it to lighten up the colored touch-up paint. I have done this and it does work, though it takes a bit of patience...something I don't have an infinite supply of.
Here's my technique. Use two fine-tipped artist's brushes and a piece of smooth, white cardboard. Dip one brush in the colored touch-up paint and make a very wet stripe on the cardboard. Dip the second brush in the white touch-up paint and make a parallel wet stripe next to the first.
Now, using the brush with colored paint on it, pull a little white paint into the colored stripe and mix until you get the proper color. It can take several tries to get a close match, so don't get in a hurry. In a few cases where the hue is off, you may need to mix in a little bit of a third color to adjust it.
Remember, also, that high-gloss automotive paints may look just a bit darker when dry than when wet. Stay just slightly on the lighter side with the first coat. If it seems too light when dry, mix and use a slightly darker shade for the next coat. Repeat until you get a good match.
IME, the bigger issue is how you apply the touch-up paint, even after you have the right color. Use a very fine-tipped artist's brush and very light strokes to apply a very small amount of paint. Build up the coats until you get the proper coverage. And, keep a clean rag handy to wipe off any errors and be prepared to start over...maybe several times. I can be a tedious process to get a good touch-up job.
Good luck.
TJ
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