What tool is used to measure the thickness of dried paint coatings on a panel?

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Measuring how thick a dried paint film is requires a tool built for coating thickness, not just any dimension. A mil thickness gauge is designed for film thickness measurements on painted panels, giving direct readings in mils (thousandths of an inch) of the dry paint layer. It works with coatings on metal surfaces by using magnetic induction (for ferrous substrates) or eddy currents (for non-ferrous substrates), so you can measure without removing or damaging the coating. A micrometer or caliper checks solid dimensions or substrate thickness and can compress or scratch a coating, which isn’t suitable for paint films. A gloss meter only measures shine, not thickness. So the mil thickness gauge best fits the need to know how thick the dried paint is.