I'm trying to clean up a frame that had some decals on it that were scratched up. I inspected the edges of the decals to see if they were above the clear coat so that, if needed, they could be removed. Everything looked safe so I tested it on a small decal on the seat tube...

Turns out I was wrong.

The topcoat was thinly applied so rather than it being flush with the top of the decal it sat about half the thickness-of-the-decal high off the surface of the paint.

Now I'm left with a decal shaped depression in the topcoat with bare paint underneath. Also, the clear coat, as a whole, seems to have discolored when compared to the bare paint area.

Is there a way to fill in the spots in the clear coat? Is it a lost cause? Should I just sand it all away and rattle-can clear coat it?

I probably should have left well enough alone, but decals with tears in them get under my skin.