"Any RAL" is not the whole story: gloss, texture and outdoor grades

Two parts in the same RAL 7016 can look nothing alike. Colour is one number of four — here are the other three, and how to spec a finish that still looks right in five years.

TK Nguyễn Trần Tuấn Khang DESIGN, CAD/CAM APR 30, 2026 · 5 MIN READ

Two panels in the same RAL 7016 anthracite side by side on a pallet, one matt and one high-gloss

COVER · ILLUSTRATION

A RAL code is a colour, not a finish

RAL 7016 — "anthracite grey" — is the colour on a thousand gates, railings and machine guards. But hand two shops the same code and the parts can come back looking like different products. The code fixes the hue. Three other choices decide how it reads and how long it lasts: gloss, texture and grade.

None of these cost more to ask for — they cost a lot to fix after the oven. Spec them up front and the part that arrives is the part you pictured.

CHOICE 01

Gloss changes the whole part

Gloss is how much light the surface throws back, measured 0–100 at 60°. The same grey at 10% matt reads soft and modern; at 90% gloss it reads wet and shows every ripple in the steel underneath. High gloss is less forgiving of the substrate, not more premium by default.

LEVEL	GLOSS @ 60°	READS AS	GOOD FOR
Matt	5 – 20%	Soft, contemporary	Architecture, furniture
Satin	25 – 45%	Low-key, hides marks	Enclosures, guards
Semi-gloss	50 – 75%	Clean, wipeable	Kitchens, medical
Gloss	80 – 95%	Wet, reflective	Automotive, signage

Matt finishes hide fingerprints and light scratches best — worth it on anything hands touch.

CHOICE 02

Texture hides a multitude of sins

A smooth coat is a mirror for the surface below it; a fine-texture or wrinkle powder scatters that light, so weld grind marks, blast profile and small handling dings disappear. Texture also feels grippier and resists scuffing — which is why tool cabinets and outdoor furniture nearly always wear it.

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If the part gets handled, texture. If it needs to look like glass, smooth — and give us a flat surface to work with.

CHOICE 03

Indoors or out? The grade decides

Standard powder is a polyester made for indoor life. Put it in full tropical sun and within a couple of years it chalks — the surface goes powdery and the colour fades. Outdoor parts want a super-durable grade; facades and anything with a warranty want architectural-class powder to QUALICOAT standards.

GRADE	UV LIFE	USE
Standard polyester	Indoor	Enclosures, frames, indoor furniture
Super-durable	~10 yr outdoor	Gates, railings, signage, machinery
Architectural (QUALICOAT)	15 yr+	Facades, louvres, anything spec-driven

Coastal or roadside? Mention it — salt and grime change the pretreatment our coating partner applies, not just the powder.

Spec a finish in three lines

You don’t need a paint engineer. Tell us these and we’ll turn it into a real, repeatable finish spec for our coating partner:

01 Colour — a RAL number Not "grey". RAL 7016, RAL 9005, RAL 9016 — the fan removes all doubt.
02 Gloss + texture e.g. "matt, fine texture". This is the line most orders forget.
03 Where it lives Indoor, outdoor, or coastal — so we specify the right grade, and our coating partner applies the right pretreatment.

POWDER COATRALGLOSS

MORE NOTES All notes →

N-11 Stainless finishes: 2B, brushed #4 and mirror #8 — where each belongs Jul 3, 2026 · 5 min read N-12 Powder coat vs anodise vs zinc plate vs raw: choosing a finish Jun 18, 2026 · 6 min read N-14 Mill scale to showroom: how a raw blank becomes a finished part May 22, 2026 · 6 min read

NEXT STEP

Know your colour but not your finish? Send the RAL and where the part lives — indoors, outdoors, handled — and we’ll match a gloss, texture and grade that holds up.

Ask about a finish Coating service