A large variety of equipment for film preparation is available from Elcometer. To prepare test films on paper charts, draw-down bars are most often used in combination with a vacuum plate. The vacuum plate will hold the chart in place during the lay down of the film. Coated paper charts are often used to test appearance, colour or opacity. Due to shrinking coated paper charts might curl.

Unsealed paper charts will curl since the paper fibres swell due to the absorption of solvent in the coating. Mud cracking may not occur in test films. It arises due to lack of «wet gel strength» to resist the tensile stresses within the shrinking membrane.

Control of the humidity of the environment during drying helps to overcome this problem. Paper charts should be stored in the same conditioned space as the samples after drying and baking. If test films are made on plastic panels, their surface has to be treated to assure wetting and adhesion of the film to the substrate. The use of plastic panels is popular in the automotive, computer, furniture and sign makers industries as the use of painted plastic parts is increasing.

It is also quiet common to make test films on metal panels, as substrates which are sand blasted or wire brushed hot-rolled steel panels can be used. The panels are often chemically treated as is the case with phosphatised, galvanised or anodised panels. Sometimes rigorous cleaning is needed to remove corrosion inhibitorbefore the panels are suitable for coating.