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Coating Thickness Calculator

Work out coating thickness instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Coating Thickness Calculator

Only the solids remain after the solvent flashes off, so wet film thickness must be dry film thickness divided by volume solids. Theoretical coverage is 1000 x volume solids divided by target DFT in microns, and multiplying by transfer efficiency gives the practical spreading rate that accounts for overspray and surface profile losses.

Formulas

Wet film

WFT = DFT / volume solids fraction

Coverage

Theoretical m²/L = 1000 x volume solids / DFT µm; practical = theoretical x transfer efficiency

Worked example

With the default values below, Coating Thickness Calculator returns Wet film thickness to apply of 125.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Target dry film thicknessminimum 1 µm
75 µm
Volume solids of paintaccepts 5–100 %
60 %
Transfer efficiencyaccepts 10–100 %
70 %
Area to coatminimum 0.1 m²
200 m²

Results

Wet film thickness to apply
125.0 µm
Theoretical coverage
8.00 m²/L
Practical coverage
5.60 m²/L
Paint required
35.71 L

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Wet film
  3. 3Coverage
  4. 4Wet film thickness to apply= 125.0 µm
  5. 5Theoretical coverage= 8.00 m²/L
  6. 6Practical coverage= 5.60 m²/L
  7. 7Paint required= 35.71 L

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Coating Thickness figure worked out?

WFT = DFT / volume solids fraction. Only the solids remain after the solvent flashes off, so wet film thickness must be dry film thickness divided by volume solids.

Why is transfer efficiency so low with spray?

Airless and conventional spray lose material to overspray, bounce-back and edge effects. Brush and roller reach 90 percent or better but cannot match spray on rate or film uniformity.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Target dry film thickness, Volume solids of paint, Transfer efficiency, Area to coat. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.

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