"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.
表紙 · 工場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.
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.
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.
If the part gets handled, texture. If it needs to look like glass, smooth — and give us a flat surface to work with.
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 we choose, 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:
- 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 pick the right grade and pretreatment.
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.