Has anyone ever painted their forks? Like is it a thing to just rattlecan your forks instead of replacing them?

Hello all! Brand new to the forum and have a question. I was in an accident on my 2011 796 ABS and need to replace the front end. I have looked around and found a 2011 696 front end forks suspension for sale and need to know if the 696 is a direct swap for the 796. Any help you can give...