Quick answer: use a pen for small chips and fine scratches, a bottle when you need a little more paint and brush control, and an aerosol for larger scuffs, bumper areas and panel repairs.

Touch-up pen vs bottle vs aerosol

Product	Best for	Application
20ml touch-up pen	Stone chips, pin chips, fine scratches	Precision applicator
30ml touch-up bottle	Deeper chips, scuffs, multiple chips, small damaged areas	Brush-on application
400ml aerosol	Bumper corners, larger scuffs, panel sections, wider repairs	Sprayed coats

When should I choose a touch-up pen?

A pen is normally the easiest choice when the damaged area is very small and you want precise control. It is particularly suited to stone chips on bonnets, wings and door edges, or narrow scratches where spraying would be unnecessary.

When is a bottle better?

A bottle gives more paint and brush control, making it useful for deeper chips, repeated stone-chip damage or small scuffed areas. Thin coats are still important; trying to fill a deep chip in one heavy coat can leave the repair raised or slow to dry.

When do I need an aerosol?

An aerosol is intended for repairs that are too large for individual dabs of paint. It is the better format for prepared bumper sections, larger scuffs and localised panel repairs because the colour can be applied in controlled, overlapping spray coats.

Do all three products use the same colour information?

Yes. The important part is identifying the correct vehicle colour first, normally using the registration and/or manufacturer paint code. The product format changes how the paint is applied, not the vehicle colour reference.

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