Why Is There 20, 60 and 85 Degrees Gloss?

By | 11/12/2018

A common question, “Why Is There 20, 60 and 85 Degrees Gloss?”.  There are gloss meters for 20º, 60º and 85º, which one should I use?  The guidelines are:

  • For matte finishes use 85°
  • For semi gloss use 60°
  • For high gloss use 20°

Gloss is the specular light reflected off a surface.  An interaction of light with the surface and visual evaluation is subjective as human perception varies from people to people.  Gloss meters are used to quantify the reflection and the measurement unit is gloss units (GU).

In the industry, if the measurement at 60° geometry is greater than 70 GU, it is recommended that 20° geometry be used to optimize measurement accuracy.  And for readings less than 10 GU, gloss measurement should be taken at 85° geometry.

Rhopoint IQ-S gloss meter measure low gloss and is designed for automotive interior parts where a very low gloss is desired.  The IQ-S measures orange peel effects too.  For a demonstration, please write to us.