Check-tile for colour measurement instruments

1. A check-tile for validating instrument scales of a color measurement instrument, said check-tile comprising a non-transparent substrate coated with a multi-layer coating, said multi-layer coating comprising:

A) a pigmented ground coat, wherein said pigmented ground coat is opaque and made of a base coat coating composition I comprising a binder and at least one achromatic solid pigment, and

B) a pigmented mid-coat, wherein said pigmented mid-coat is translucent and made of a base coat coating composition II comprising a binder, at least one transparent interference pigment and at least one transparent or semi-transparent solid pigment;

wherein said check-tile is of a color suitable for measurement by said color measurement instrument according to a photometric scale and a wavelength scale; wherein at least one reflectance spectra of said check-tile measured within a range of 70° to 115° off the specular is predominated by the color of the at least one transparent or semi-transparent solid pigment; and at least one reflectance spectra of said check-tile measured within a range of 10° to 20° off the specular is predominated by the color of said at least one transparent interference pigment.

2. The check-tile of claim 1 , wherein the pigmented ground coat and the pigmented mid-coat are adjacent to each other in the multilayer coating.

3. The check-tile of claim 1 , wherein the pigmented ground coat A) is disposed above and in contact with the non-transparent substrate and the pigmented mid-coat B) is disposed above and in contact with the pigmented ground coat A).

4. The check-tile of claim 3 , further comprising a clear top coat made of a transparent clear coat coating composition disposed above and in contact with the pigmented mid-coat.

5. The check-tile of claim 4 , wherein the clear coat coating composition comprises at least one binder and optionally a coating additive.

6. The check-tile of claim 3 , wherein said base coat coating composition I is free of effect pigments.

7. The check-tile of claim 3 , wherein said base coat coating composition I is free of colored solid pigments.

8. The check-tile of claim 3 , wherein the achromatic solid pigment is a white pigment.

9. The check-tile of claim 8 , wherein the white pigment is titanium dioxide.

10. The check-tile of claim 1 , wherein the base coat coating composition I and/or II further comprise a coating additive.

11. The check-tile of claim 3 , wherein the at least one transparent or semi-transparent solid pigment of the base coat coating composition II is a transparent or semi-transparent yellow, red or orange pigment.

12. The check-tile of claim 3 , wherein the at least one transparent interference pigment of the base coat coating composition II has a transparent platelet-like core and the platelet-like core is coated with a layer of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ).

13. The check-tile of claim 3 , wherein the color measurement instrument is a goniospectrophotometer.

14. The check-tile of claim 1 , wherein the base coat coating composition II does not contain an opaque solid pigment.

15. The check-tile of claim 1 , wherein said transparent solid pigment is present in said base coat coating composition II at about 0.005 to about 0.05% by weight.

16. The check-tile of claim 1 , wherein the pigments in said pigmented mid-coat consist of said at least one transparent interference pigment and said at least one transparent or semi-transparent solid pigment.

17. A check-tile for validating instrument scales of a color measurement instrument, said check-tile comprising a non-transparent substrate coated with a multi-layer coating, said multi-layer coating comprising:

a. a pigmented ground coat, wherein said pigmented ground coat is disposed above and in contact with the substrate and is opaque and made of a base coat coating composition Ia comprising a binder and at least one achromatic solid pigment, and

b. a pigmented mid-coat, wherein said pigmented mid-coat is disposed above and in contact with the pigmented ground coat and is translucent and made of a base coat coating composition IIb comprising a binder and at least one transparent interference pigment, and

c. a pigmented top coat, wherein said pigmented top coat is disposed above and in contact with the pigmented mid-coat and is transparent and made of a top coat coating composition comprising a binder and at least one transparent or semi-transparent solid color pigment;

wherein said check-tile is of a color suitable for measurement by said color measurement instrument according to a photometric scale and a wavelength scale; wherein at least one reflectance spectra of said check-tile measured within a range of 70° to 115° off the specular is predominated by the color of the at least one transparent or semi-transparent solid color pigment; and at least one reflectance spectra of said check-tile measured within a range of 10° to 20° off the specular is predominated by the color of said at least one transparent interference pigment.

18. The check-tile of claim 17 , wherein the base coat coating composition IIb does not contain an opaque solid pigment.

19. The check-tile of claim 17 , wherein the pigments in said pigmented mid-coat consist of said at least one transparent interference pigment.