We have investigated how texture and color combine when assessing the appearance of special effect coatings. In a previous study, the most important aspects of the texture of special effect coatings were identified as diffuse coarseness and glint impression. In the present study, objective measurements of these parameters are carried out using a recently developed instrument, and these data are combined with spectrophotometer data under six geometries. The instrumental data and visual data are analyzed using statistical techniques. From these visual data we were able to create a total appearance score which strongly correlates with the measurements of color and texture differences using this instrument. In this way a calculation procedure has been developed yielding predictions on acceptability that correlate well with visual judgments. Also, the added value of reflection data close to the gloss angle is demonstrated. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 36, 4-14, 2011; Published online 24 February 2010 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20586