Mottle

Mottling usually occurs in the extremities (lower first) and progresses up as cardiac function declines and circulation throughout the body is poor.

[3] In animals, mottling may be a sign of disease, but may also be a hereditary trait, such as seen with the champagne and leopard complex genes in horses.

[5] Mottling can also refer to an undesirable defect which can occur with effect coatings, most obvious on light metallic finishes.

For example, disorientation of the metallic flakes or film thickness variations of the basecoat can lead to various mottle sizes resulting in a non-uniform appearance.

The visual evaluation of mottling is very subjective, as it depends on the illumination conditions, the observing distance and the viewing angle.

Thus, target values for small and large mottle sizes can be established for paint batch approval as well as process control.