If I could only tell you how many times we’ve been asked if DI-NOC is available in a glossy black! The glossy version (CA-421GN) is considered an indoor-use only material, but we wanted to see how it would handle being outside in maximum UV exposure over a long period of time before we made it available for sale to you guys. So we tested for many months in an horizontal application in Virginia. Even though the material is considered indoor-only, months later is still looked brand new. While every environment is different, it looks like it actually does have some decent outdoor lifespan, just don’t expect 3M to stand behind it. Basically, use at your own risk.\r\n\r\nAnother thing to note is that although it is considered a glossy version, it’s not going to be like a full gloss real carbon fiber piece that you may be used to seeing. Normally, something like that is either a polished epoxy or has a clear coat applied, but more importantly, it’s typically smooth. Because DI-NOC has texture to it, the look is more like the original CA-421 (the matte version) with a sheen to it. In all reality the differences between the two are pretty subtle, and hard to even show in pictures.\r\n\r\nIf you’re really having trouble deciding whether to get CA-421 or CA-421GN, we highly recommend purchasing samples from us just to be able to see it in person. We’ve snapped a few pictures below in a number of different environments to help give you an idea of how it looks.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIf you have an outdoor application where you really want glossy, but have concerns about lifespan, you can always consider clear coating the matte material.\r\n\r\nWe also put together a video for you to show the differences:\r\n\r\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIkY8-LACDc
Tags: ca 421gn, ca421gn, difference, glossy, matte