Gloss / Appearance

Visual gloss appearance can determine a person's perception of a product. Colour and Gloss are two key parameters that are used to define a product's overall quality. Perception is subjective, but Elcometer's range of glossmeters, DOI meters and colour assessment equipment can quantify appearance measurement. The ability of a surface to reflect light without scattering is known as gloss. Using a glossmeter, gloss is measured by directing a constant intensity light beam at a fixed angle to the test surface and then by monitoring the amount of reflected light at the same angle. Different surfaces require different reflective angles. A material's ability to absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others is defined as its colour. For example a black material reflects no light across the complete colour spectrum. A pure white material reflects all of the light, whilst all other colours reflect light at different points of the spectrum. Colour is quantified by the material's Red, Green and Blue (RGB) values. Appearance measurement is a way of putting numbers to characteristics of surfaces that we see. The ability to independently quantify appearance allows for products to be similar whenever and wherever the product is manufactured or coated.