Patent ID: 8017187

Claim:
A method of coating a surface, the method comprising the steps of: providing an object having a surface to be coated; preparing the surface to be coated by applying a gloss basecoat layer; curing said basecoat layer to provide a cured basecoat layer having a gloss level greater than 50%; providing a flake mixture, the flake mixture comprising a volatile liquid medium and a reflective flake pigment dispersed within said liquid medium, the weight percentage of flake being between 0.002% and 0.1%, the flake mixture including substantially no binder compound; the liquid medium comprising at least two volatile liquid components, a first component having first volatility and a second component having a second volatility, wherein the first volatility is higher than the second volatility; and wherein at least one component of the liquid medium acts as a solvent or etching agent for at least a surface layer of the cured gloss basecoat; spraying onto said cured gloss basecoat layer the flake mixture; curing the flake mixture such that substantially all of the volatile liquid medium is driven from the mixture leaving the reflective flake pigment aligned on the surface of the cured gloss basecoat; applying over said cured flake layer a lacquer layer; and curing said lacquer layer.