When performing repairs, how are the old graphics restored?

[joedy]

If a kite requires new material to complete a repair (as in if an entire panel or section thereof is missing or destroyed beyond repair) how are the previous graphics restored?

If the original kite graphics were sewn on, that's a easy fix, but what if they were screen printed or painted on the original surface material? I can envision magic markers for simple black graphics on repaired ripstop or dacron, but what if the original graphics have unique colors or patterns where markers won't match closely?

[OzBungy]

They're not. You design the repair so the end result looks good, but that doesn't have to be the same as the original graphics. I usually do repairs in black and shape the repair so that it looks like a feature. It's possible to do a super functional repair where the quality of the repair itself is a beautiful thing.

There's no point in doing an "invisible" repair like you would expect with a quality car repair. You're not going to preserve resale value by doing an expensive repair. Kites are consumable items. Use them. Wear them out. Get a new one.