Visual Evaluation of Effect Coatings
As metallic finishes show a lightness change with different viewing angles, the sample needs to be tilted to create the same effect during visual evaluation. This effect is also referred to as "light-dark flop". The bigger the lightness changes between the angles of view are, the more the contours of an object will be accentuated. In order to observe color travel of interference finishes, the panel should be moved to allow increasing or decreasing the angle to the light source.

Metallic Coatings
Today effect finishes play a dominant role in many applications as they make an object distinctively appealing. In contrast to conventional solid colors, effect finishes change their appearance with viewing angle and lighting conditions. Interference finishes show not only a lightness change with different viewing angle, but also a change in chroma and hue. The latest developments are special effect pigments, which create sparkling effects when lighting conditions change from sunlight to cloudy sky.