In reality, there are a number of tests that take place in factories and test facilities every day. When we think about testing paint, we most often think of either complicated chemical tests or a quick “eye test” against a paint swatch. Plus, it can save you lots of time and trouble down the road by catching problems with your paint before you start a job. Drawdown cards are relatively inexpensive items, and as this demonstration shows, applying a sample of paint as a thin film is simple and quick. It might seem that actually using a drawdown card would be a difficult or messy process, but nothing is further from the truth. An astounding variety of drawdown cards exist in an effort to help paint manufacturers replicate most any condition or substrate, so you can be sure there’s one available for your particular upcoming job. Some cards help test for the leveling property of paint while others test color uniformity across different surface types. Some drawdown cards feature a clear-coat or vinyl covering to simulate gloss, while others are laminated with plastic film to simulate greater solvent resistance. Different paint types (oil, water) and substrates (metal, wood, fiberglass) are replicated by using different types of drawdown cards. These differences allow for measurements that determine the exact color properties of a paint before it’s used for a commercial job.ĭespite what may seem like a simple product, drawdown cards come in a number of variations. Drawdown cards work by measuring the contrasting properties of the paint on the white portion of the card and the black portion of the card with the same sample of paint. Painters may rely on paint swatches to confirm colors, but drawdown cards are significantly more accurate, as they offer a larger paint sample area and multiple color contrast pallets.Īpplying a sample of paint to a drawdown card and spreading it over the card at a consistent speed creates a thin film covering that can be analyzed for color, gloss, and reflectivity. As a result, you may not be familiar with draw down cards and their myriad uses. Regularly confirming that these properties are within the designed specifications of the paint being manufactured is the first step to guaranteeing that the end-user never faces a recall or unforeseen paint issue as I did.ĭrawdown cards are most often used when a paint is being manufactured or when a designer is comparing paint colors. Drawdown cards can help measure color, spread rate, opacity, bleed, viscosity, thickness, gloss, and a wide number of other physical properties critical to identifying the specific qualities of a particular paint. As the name implies, a drawdown card is a piece of firm card stock that features a black portion and a white portion. The simplest way for these manufacturers to test the color, opacity, and gloss of a paint sample begins with a drawdown card. While your customer or client might not ever notice a subtle difference in things like color or gloss, a paint manufacturer’s reputation is staked on their customers – painters and paint professionals like you – trusting the products they produce each and every time. In order for you, the professional painter, to have confidence in your materials, you must first have confidence in the brand of paint you’re using. The truth is that every successful paint factory and paint manufacturer must rigorously and continuously test the paint they produce to guarantee that each batch is up to the exacting standards required in the commercial paint sector.
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