Product FAQ

Choosing a grade by coating system

Which Vistamatt grade should I start with for a waterborne clear wood coating?

VS660 (5.0–5.3 µm) is the primary route for high-clarity waterborne clear systems. Screen it against VS651 (4.9–5.2 µm) when tactile smoothness and feel lead the brief. Clarity is judged on a black panel at production film build, not on white, because light scatter from coarse or under-dispersed particles only becomes visible against a dark background.

Which Vistamatt grade suits UV wood and panel coating applied by roller?

VS3550U (5.5–6.0 µm) is a high surface area route and the first screen for roller application on wood and panel. Roller and spray impose different requirements on particle size and system viscosity, so a roller grade is not transferred to a spray line without re-screening. VS6907 (8.0–8.5 µm) is held for lower gloss targets in the same family.

Which Vistamatt grade suits a UV spray line for wood and panel?

VS141S (3.8–4.0 µm) is the fine route for spray appearance and surface refinement, with VS641 (3.8–4.2 µm) as the comparison sample inside spray systems. VS370U (7.0–7.3 µm) enters the comparison when matting depth has to be weighed against surface uniformity rather than maximised on its own.

Which Vistamatt grade should I screen first for industrial and coil coatings?

VS171S (7.0–7.5 µm) is the first screen for industrial and coil routes. Coil topcoats run at high film build through a fast, hot bake, so grade selection favours efficient gloss reduction and robust structure over maximum clarity. VS361C (6.2–6.5 µm) is the usual comparison grade, and screening runs across the full cure schedule rather than on a lab drawdown alone.

Which Vistamatt grade gives a deep matte on premium plastic and panel surfaces?

VS1650A (6.2–6.5 µm) is the primary deep matte route for first screening. VS3851 (8.5–9.0 µm) is introduced only where a demanding low-gloss target has been defined, because coarser routes buy matting efficiency at the cost of clarity and tactile smoothness. Deep matte briefs are screened on dark substrates where any whitening shows.

Which Vistamatt grade suits flexible and soft-touch coatings?

VS341S (4.1–4.4 µm) is the first screen for flexible low-gloss systems. VS331S (3.2–3.5 µm) is the fine particle route where surface refinement and hand feel lead the specification, and VS370T (7.0–7.3 µm) is used to reach a deeper matte while staying inside the flexible family.

Which Vistamatt grade suits leather and synthetic leather finishes?

VS131A (3.2–3.5 µm) is the general route for natural matte and fine leather surfaces. VSKD721 and VS321A (both 2.1–2.4 µm) are the finer routes where refinement and suppleness matter most; VS321A is a high surface area route for specific finishing systems. Dark leather is the strictest clarity test, so screening is done on a dark drawdown.

Grade-by-grade questions

What makes VS660 the primary waterborne route?

VS660 sits in the High-Clarity Waterborne Matting family at 5.0–5.3 µm, a particle route that reaches typical clear-coat gloss targets while staying transparent in a waterborne binder. Waterborne systems are more sensitive to wetting and dispersion than solventborne systems, and some surface treatments designed for solvent chemistry underperform in water, which is why a solventborne grade is not transferred directly.

When should I choose VS651 instead of VS660?

VS651 (4.9–5.2 µm) is the finer balance point, chosen where smoothness and tactile feel lead the brief rather than maximum matting efficiency. The two grades overlap closely in particle size, so the decision is made by screening both at matched gloss in the same formulation and comparing hand feel, clarity and dispersion behaviour.

What is VS351C for?

VS351C is a bridge grade in the High-Clarity Waterborne family, used when a system is being upgraded from a general-purpose matte to a higher-clarity route. Bridge grades reduce the size of the formulation change: the system moves one step rather than jumping straight to the finest route and re-opening dispersion and dosage at the same time.

When do I move from VS361C to VS381C or VS391C?

The industrial family steps down in gloss as particle size rises: VS361C (6.2–6.5 µm), VS381C (8.0–8.3 µm), then VS391C (9.0–9.5 µm) for high matting efficiency at specific low-gloss targets. Each step buys efficiency and costs clarity, so the move is made only when the lower gloss target cannot be reached at the current route without over-loading.

Which grades cover more than one application family?

VS361C is listed for both Industrial & Metal and Premium Deep Matte, and VS3851 spans Premium Deep Matte, Flexible & Soft-Touch and Leather. A grade appearing in several families means its particle route is workable across those systems, not that it performs identically in each — the screening comparison is still run inside the target system.

Which grades are the finest routes in the range?

VS321A and VSKD721 share the finest published range at 2.1–2.4 µm, both in the Leather & Synthetic Leather family. Fine routes are chosen where clarity, refinement and suppleness outrank matting efficiency; reaching a low gloss target with a fine route generally requires more dosage or more film build than a coarser route would.