01 FILM OPTICAL-EVIDENCE BASIS
Film haze, specular gloss and clarity: keep three test results separate
Haze, specular gloss and clarity answer different optical questions. A useful film enquiry names the required visual function, then keeps every result attached to an identified specimen, test method, procedure or geometry, surface, condition and document role.
02 DECISION FRAME
Haze is scattering, gloss is surface reflection and clarity is image-forming transmission
ASTM D1003 addresses haze and luminous transmittance for essentially transparent planar plastics; ASTM D2457 addresses specular gloss; ASTM D1746 measures transparency as regular transmittance for principally nominally clear, colourless thin sheeting. Keep haze, specular gloss, D1003 luminous transmittance and D1746 regular transmittance in separate acceptance rows. A method- and specimen-specific correlation may be recorded as supporting evidence, but it does not make the metrics interchangeable.
- A clear-film RFQ where appearance words need measurable sample and COA fields
- A supplier comparison that reports haze, gloss or clarity on different bases
- A receiving plan that must connect optical evidence to the exact lot, roll and surface
- That a low-haze result establishes clarity or see-through image quality
- That high specular gloss proves transparency or low haze
- That a typical data-sheet value, sample result or one COA approves every delivered lot
03 COMPARISON MAP
Give each optical question its own method and acceptance row
The measurement name is not enough. Preserve the specimen, procedure or geometry, conditions and evidence role before comparing values.
Swipe or scroll horizontally to review every evidence column.
| Field | Measurement question | Basis to keep attached | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specimen identity | Which exact material state was measured? | Supplier and grade, construction, thickness, lot/roll, side, plain/printed/coated/laminated stage, preparation, conditioning and age | That a result from another thickness, surface, process stage or lot represents this specimen |
| Haze and luminous transmittance | How much wide-angle scattering and light transmission does the identified essentially transparent planar specimen show under the selected D1003 procedure? | ASTM D1003 edition, Procedure A or B, instrument, specimen position, preparation, conditioning, readings and reporting basis | Image-forming clarity, regular transmittance, surface gloss or packed-product appearance |
| Specular gloss | How does the identified film surface reflect light in the selected specular geometry? | ASTM D2457 edition, selected geometry/angle and procedure, transparent or opaque material class, measured side, backing, instrument and readings | Haze, clarity, transparency or the complete visual character of the film |
| Clarity / transparency | How much image-forming light passes as regular transmittance through the identified nominally clear thin sheeting? | ASTM D1746 edition, instrument design, beam/aperture geometry, specimen spacing/orientation, preparation, conditioning and readings | D1003 total luminous transmittance, haze, subjective see-through for highly diffusing material or gloss |
| Sampling and sides | Do the readings represent the agreed web locations and working surface? | Across-web and along-web map, side labels, MD/TD or unwind reference, replicate count, edge exclusions and summary rule | Roll uniformity from one unlocated reading or equivalence between opposite surfaces |
| Document and acceptance role | Is the value a requirement, specification limit, typical value, lot result or independent report? | Document type/revision, unit, comparator, tolerance, rounding/uncertainty treatment, sampling rule, retest and disposition owner | That a TDS typical value is a guarantee or that a sample result releases a commercial lot |
04 SELECTION SEQUENCE
Move from a broad comparison to an approvable decision.
Describe the optical job first
State whether the pack needs low veiling scatter, a specified surface shine, see-through image definition or another visual outcome. Do not use “clear” as a substitute for three test rows.
Normalize the evidence basis
Compare only identified specimens tested with the agreed method, edition, procedure or geometry, instrument configuration, preparation, conditioning and sampling plan.
Carry the basis from sample to receiving
Define which document controls the requirement, how trial and commercial lots are sampled, and who owns retest or nonconformance disposition before approving a result.
05 RFQ INPUTS
Film haze, specular-gloss and clarity RFQ checklist
Use separate rows for each required optical result, then attach them to the same identified construction and qualification path.
Open the RFQ brief builder ↗- 01
Packed product, package format, viewing function and complete layer structure
- 02
Supplier, exact grade/construction, thickness, lot/roll and plain, printed, coated or laminated stage
- 03
Required haze, luminous-transmittance, specular-gloss and/or regular-transmittance row; omit metrics that do not answer the buying question
- 04
Named method and edition for every result, plus any buyer or material-specification precedence
- 05
D1003 Procedure A or B; D2457 procedure and selected geometry/angle; D1746 instrument and aperture/beam geometry, as applicable
- 06
For D1003, flag any haze result greater than 30 % as diffusing material and route the test basis to Practice E2387 as the public scope directs
- 07
For ISO 14782, record whether the transparent specimen is abraded or matted and resolve the risk of an erroneously low haze result from narrow-angle scattering
- 08
Measured side, backing, specimen orientation, MD/TD or unwind map and web sampling locations
- 09
Specimen preparation, conditioning, test environment, age/history, replicate count and result-summary rule
- 10
Buyer requirement, supplier specification, TDS typical value, sample report, lot COA and independent report kept in separate evidence roles
- 11
Unit, comparator or range, tolerance, rounding/uncertainty treatment, sampling, retest and nonconformance disposition
- 12
Sample, representative trial roll, first commercial order and repeat-order evidence gates with responsible approval owner
06 EVIDENCE BOUNDARY
Public standard scopes guide the brief; they are not the test procedure or a material claim
ASTM's public pages do not replace the licensed methods. D1003 is scoped to specific light-transmitting and wide-angle-scattering properties of essentially transparent planar plastics and warns that its two procedures can yield different values. D1003 treats material with haze greater than 30 % as diffusing and directs it to Practice E2387. D2457 says meaningful gloss comparisons require the same procedure and general material type, and transparent-film gloss should not be compared with opaque-film gloss. D1746 is principally intended for nominally clear, colourless thin sheeting and warns that instrument design and aperture/beam geometry strongly affect results, especially for diffusing specimens. ISO 14782:2021 publicly scopes haze measurement to transparent and substantially colourless plastics with haze below 40 %. It also warns that abraded or matted transparent plastics can return erroneously low haze readings when narrow-angle scattering is not captured. Unless the responsible laboratory and parties confirm the method and comparison basis, do not treat ISO 14782 and D1003 results as interchangeable. These sources create no LayerSource optical target, grade capability, certificate or performance promise; the buyer, supplier and laboratory must agree the current applicable method and acceptance rule.
07 BUYER QUESTIONS
Resolve the assumptions that make quotes diverge.
01Is low haze the same as high clarity?+
No. Haze under ASTM D1003 addresses wide-angle scattering, while ASTM D1746 transparency is regular transmittance connected to image-forming light. Keep both results attached to their own specimen, instrument geometry and method.
02Does high specular gloss mean high transparency?+
No. Specular gloss describes surface reflection under a selected geometry. It does not establish haze, regular transmittance, total luminous transmittance or complete visual appearance.
03Can D1003 luminous transmittance be compared with D1746 regular transmittance?+
Do not treat them as interchangeable. D1003 measures haze with total hemispherical luminous transmittance at the sphere entrance, while D1746 transparency is regular transmittance with instrument geometry that materially affects the result.
04What must accompany a film-gloss result?+
Record the D2457 edition, procedure and selected geometry/angle, transparent or opaque material class, specimen and measured side, backing, preparation, conditioning, instrument and sampling map.
05Can a sample result or one COA prove every lot?+
No. Keep the value attached to its specimen, lot/roll, document role and sampling basis. Define separate sample, trial, first-order and repeat-order acceptance gates.
06Can values from different instruments, procedures or methods be merged?+
Not without a documented, technically valid comparison basis. D1003 notes a difference between its two procedures, D2457 requires procedure consistency, and D1746 warns that instrument geometry can materially influence results.