PPG Industries’ coil and building products group has launched the PPG Metal Coatings Online Color Selector Tool at ppgideascapes.com.

The tool features digital versions of all 90 colors in the PPG Architectural Liquid and Powder Coatings Color Guide and each of the 80 colors in the PPG Building Products Coil Coatings Color Guide. Visitors can access large swatches for all 170 colors through two modules – for extrusion coatings and coil coatings – and filter searches by color family or by brand name.

Hovering a cursor over a color swatch reveals the descriptive name of the DURANAR liquid coating in the extrusion-coatings mode or the Duranar ULTRA-COOL coating in the coil-coatings mode, along with its unique product code and solar reflectance index (SRI) rating.

Clicking on a swatch expands the sample and unveils product codes for the same color in other PPG brands and resin formulations, as well as suggested uses for the coating. Another tap on the expand icon in the corner of the swatch enlarges it to full-screen size.

In the extrusion-coatings mode, a click on the “Request a Sample” icon takes visitors to the Sample and Literature Fulfillment Center on the ppgideascapes.com site, where they can add the panel to the shopping cart.

Icons for email and social media embedded in each swatch enable architects to share colors instantly with clients and colleagues. Clicking on the name of an individual brand generates information about its basic resin technology, coating system and gloss range.

Sharon Bird, PPG marketing communications manager, industrial coatings, said the new color selector tool is designed to simplify and accelerate the color specification process. “With a few quick clicks, architects and designers can find everything they need to learn about or compare specific metal coatings, from their solar-reflectance ratings to their resin formulations and suitability for particular applications,” she explained. “Our online sample-ordering system also is incredibly simple, which makes it faster and easier for architects to show clients and prospects the colors they are considering for any building project.”