Paint swatch test device and method

Abstract

A paint swatch test device includes a transparent or translucent substrate, such as a sheet of polymeric material, and a plurality of different primer coating patches on the substrate. The patches preferably form a grayscale series of neutral white and gray primer patches having stepwise increments in light reflectance values. The patches can also be provided on an opaque substrate. The color suitability and/or hiding power of a topcoat paint desired to be applied to a surface to be painted can be determined by coating the topcoat paint on at least a portion of a surface of the transparent or translucent substrate, providing a grayscale series of patches between the paint coating and the surface to be painted, and observing the appearance of the paint coating where patches are beneath the coating and where patches are not beneath the coating.

1 . A paint swatch test device comprising a transparent or translucent substrate and a plurality of different primer coating patches located on or adjacent to the substrate, said plurality of different primer coating patches being selected from the group consisting of patches of white and gray primer coatings. 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a sheet of polymeric material. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is colorless or substantially colorless. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is transparent. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of primer coating patches is of a size to cover at least 80% of a front or back surface of said sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of primer coating patches is of a size to cover no more than 50% of a front or back surface of said sheet. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a layer of releasable and repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adjacent the substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , the device having a removable carrier sheet, wherein the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive is between the substrate and the carrier sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein one or more score lines are provided in the substrate, which score lines define a central portion of the substrate and a border of the substrate, the plurality of patches being on the central portion, so that the central portion can be painted and then effectively peeled away from the border and from the carrier sheet. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein a first score line is provided near a top of the carrier sheet and a second score line is provided near a bottom of the carrier sheet, thereby defining a pair of carrier sheet strips which can be removed to expose portions of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said white and gray primer coatings are substantially neutral white primer coatings and substantially neutral gray primer coatings. 
     
     
         12 . A paint swatch test device comprising a substrate and a plurality of different primer coating patches printed or coated on the substrate, said plurality of different primer coating patches being selected from the group consisting of patches of white and gray primer coatings, wherein the plurality of patches covers at least 80% of a surface of said substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the substrate is opaque. 
     
     
         14 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different primer coating patches is fixed on a second substrate which is located adjacent to the transparent or translucent substrate. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein each of the primer coating patches is printed or coated on the second substrate. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different primer coating patches is fixed on the transparent or translucent substrate. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein each of the primer coating patches is printed or coated on the transparent or translucent substrate. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of different primer coating patches are provided on the carrier sheet. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein a score line is provided in the carrier sheet. 
     
     
         27 . A combination comprising a painted wall and a transparent or translucent sheet, the sheet being located adjacent the wall, the sheet being provided with a paint coating. 
     
     
         28 . The combination of  claim 27 , further comprising a plurality of different primer coating patches located between the painted wall and the paint coating, the plurality of different primer coating patches being selected from the group consisting of patches of white and gray primer coatings.