professional paint

[mealexme]

A bit of a random one this, but I was looking into paint colour codes for someone who had a bit of rash on their fairings.

The Fazer code for example is SM1 for the silver paint and you can find touch up pens under that code online, but if I was to take a bike to be professionally painted, would they use colour codes to get the exact match?

I only ask because whilst looking into it, I have come across people who have said they have had to take parts of the bike in so they can get the closest match as possible.

I'm sure at some point I am going to throw a bike down the road and if this ever happens and I need it repaired but am asked to take a part in, is it best to go somewhere else that has the paint codes on hand? It just seems a bit odd to me that some places do it by eye when they are professional companies. Or is this to take into account sun/weather damage to the paint around it?

[acting_strange]

The point about taking parts in is that paint fades over time and although a paint code is ok for something relatively new it's better if they have something from the car or bike so they can try to match the current colour.