Pumice powder was used to sand the outer surface of dry paint films. Through processing to obtain fine scratches, the paint film has a fine and noble matte appearance. More materials are now used to make matte surfaces. Although some processes are more complicated, they are very fast. Additives based on silica, paraffin, organic materials and even fillers can be added to coatings to form a micro-roughened paint film surface after drying.

After the application of the solvent-based coating, the solvent immediately begins to volatilize. With the increase of viscosity, the coating gradually becomes difficult until it is completely dry, forming a hard and elastic paint film. The volatilization of the solvent causes the matting agent to be distributed on the entire surface of the paint film, and at the same time the paint film becomes thin. This shrinkage is the main cause of the micro-roughness, or in other words, a matte paint film is obtained.

The figure below explains why coatings with high levels of organic volatiles (VOC) than solids tend to form matting effects. We can conclude that the higher the solids content of the resin, the more difficult it is to obtain a matte surface. UV or EBN systems have almost no shrinkage, which is why these coatings are so difficult to obtain a matting effect.

It can also be said that the thicker the paint film, the more difficult it is to obtain a matte surface.