Thread: Rating paint "flatness" by gloss percentage???

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I am shopping for a different flat clear, and have run into a term I am not familiar with.

SPI has a matte clear with either 6% gloss... or 4% gloss... depending on the mix. I have no idea what is considered "semi-gloss", "satin", or "full flat" using those percentage terms.

I would like a full-flat, if possible. Can anyone give me some feedback?

Gloss measurements are one of those things that can vary depending on the type of meter and method of measurement used. Google "automotive paint gloss level" and there's a bunch of info out there. Here's one - Gloss Paint Level Standards - PaintPRO

That helps a lot. Thanks a bunch!

I got a crash course in paint gloss ratings when a lady at a public hearing about a proposed power plant asked the question about what colors would be used on the structures, and what reflectivity value? She didn't like it that a big food processing plant's process tower, about 150' tall, was the focal point of the community as you went by on the interstate. Ended up with a spec requirement, and everything above 20' high got painted an almost flat dark gray so it would not stand out from the mountains in the background from the highway. Local residents nicknamed it "The Darth Vader Plant"