# Waviness

## What is Waviness?

Waviness refers to gentle undulations or waves visible on a surface that is meant to be smooth. In coated surfaces, this effect is often called "orange peel" because the texture resembles the skin of an orange.

Waviness is an optical effect caused by large structures (0.1-10mm) on the surface of the material.

For high gloss finishes, excessive waviness reduces the perceived quality by disrupting the uniformity and clarity of reflected images.

Waviness is a key parameter when observers judge the appearance quality of high gloss coatings. A smoother, low waviness coating is perceived as higher quality compared to a similar surface with more surface texture (higher waviness).

## How Aesthetix Measures Waviness

The Aesthetix measures waviness by quantifying the distortion in a 25mm straight line reflected in the material surface.
