A report of experiments to determine the factors affecting subjective assessment of the gloss and color of paint films by observers using visual comparison only There was good agreement between observers but assessment of gloss is influenced by factors other than the simple quantity of light reflected in a specular manner image contrast, which is influenced by the optics of the whole surface coating; image definition and image color are also important at high gloss, more important than simple image brightness. Viewing conditions must be controlled, and some observers are influenced by the paint/air interface, reporting differences arising from surface problems and not from the film as a whole This is of interest to conservators involved in the problem of matching gloss and texture of a repair with the original paint film. -- AATA