Gloss is an aspect of the visual perception of objects or is the attribute that causes them to have shiny or lustrous, metallic or mat appearance. The Gloss value is determined by directing a light, which has a similar wavelength to the human eye, at the test surface and measuring the amount of Specular Reflection.
Gloss is measured using a Gloss Meter which directs a light at a specific angle to the test surface and simultaneously measures the amount of Reflection. Gloss Meter measures color and Gloss to determine the surface characteristics of materials or components.
Gloss is measured with angles of 60° and 20°. The 60° angle is universal for all applications. The 20° angle gives improved differentiation of measurement on High-Gloss coatings above 70 gloss units.
Principles of measurement of a Gloss Meter: Gloss is determined by measuring the reflection of light on a particular surface. This measurement takes into consideration the intensity of light reflected from a specific point onto a specimen surface. Gloss is measured by focusing on the reflected image and not by focusing on the surface.
The more uniform the light is scattered, the less intense is the reflection in the main direction and the duller the surface will appear. Smooth and highly polished surfaces reflect images distinctly. The incident light is directly reflected on the surface, i.e. only in the main direction of reflection. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. On rough surfaces the light is diffusely scattered in all directions. The image forming qualities are diminished. A reflected object does no longer appear brilliant, but blurred.
The Gloss of a surface can be greatly influenced by number of factors such as
- Smoothness achieved during polishing
- Amount of coated substrate
- Type of coating applied
- Quality of substrate
Applications of Gloss Meter
- Gloss Meters can be used to measure the application of Gloss on a whole variety of materials
- The Automobile Industry often uses Gloss Meters as they commonly use Gloss Paint on the vast majority of cars. This is to protect the body of the car from damage as well as to make them look more appealing.
- The Construction Industry also uses Gloss Meters, especially on aesthetic parts of the building as this is where the damage is most likely to show. For instance, marble is often used as it has a nice glossy appearance but if it gets scratches on it, this appearance can be damaged. A lack of gloss can also suggest deeper structural problems within the marble and so Gloss Meters are used to help to pick up on problems such as this.
- Printing is another industry where Gloss Meters are quite commonly used. For instance, if a company was trying to create an advertising campaign with a luxury feel to it, they might decide to use a glossy print effect in their brochures. They might then use a Gloss Meter to ensure that everything has printed evenly and that the brochure has a consistent appearance so that they can begin handing out the promotional material to customers. Posters could also benefit from Gloss Meters.
- Gloss Meters are commonly used in the Furniture Industry. Often, wooden furniture is finished off with a layer of lacquer or varnish. This gives it a smooth sheen and protects the condition of the wood. The furniture needs to be evenly coated so it appears to be uniform and so that it won’t become damaged because it hasn’t got enough gloss on it. The Gloss Meters make sure the furniture is covered in the same level of gloss all over.