Where it applies
- Waterborne clear wood topcoats
- Clear sealer and overprint varnish
- Furniture, doors, flooring
What the solution is built around
For waterborne clear wood topcoats where grain definition and film clarity matter as much as the gloss target. The screening logic starts from the coating system rather than from a single matting figure — resin type, target gloss, application method and the specific problem you are seeing all change which grade should lead.
Recommended grade structure
Each project starts with a lead grade and at least one comparison grade. Running both against your own control in the first round answers more than running one grade twice.
| Grade | Role | Particle size (µm) | Application note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista-660 | Lead | 5.0–5.3 | Primary route for high-clarity waterborne clear systems. |
| Vista-651 | Support | 4.9–5.2 | Finer balance where smoothness and tactile feel lead the brief. |
| Vista-351C | Comparison | — | Bridge grade when upgrading from a general-purpose matte system. |
What to measure in the first round
These are the dimensions that decide whether a grade progresses. Test against your own control sample under production-representative conditions wherever possible.
| Dimension | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Gloss control | Lands in the target semi-matte / matte window |
| Clarity & haze | No whitening, milkiness or loss of depth |
| Grain definition | Natural and legible, not greyed out |
| Feel & smoothness | Free of drag, chalk or coarse texture |
| Viscosity & storage | No thickening, settling or hard pack |
Technical support on this solution
- System review — resin type, target gloss, application method, current issue and incumbent product.
- Two-sample proposal — a lead grade plus a comparison route, with the reasoning for each.
- Lab and scale-up — comparison across appearance, process behaviour and storage stability.
- Troubleshooting — support on haze, drag, thickening, settling and appearance defects.
Tell us the resin system, the gloss target and standard you measure against, the application method and film build, and what is going wrong today. That turns a sample request into a screening plan with a defined answer.
Screening starts with the system
Resin, target gloss, application method, current problem. We reply with a plan.