Method of applying coating compositions to a substrate

A method of applying a first coating composition and a second coating composition to a substrate, said method comprising:

• providing the substrate defining a first target area and a second target area which define a gap there between of from greater than 0 and up to less than about 2 mm;
• applying the first coating composition via a first high transfer efficiency applicator to the first target area at a wet film thickness of from about 5 to about 150 microns;
• and
• applying the second coating composition via a second high transfer efficiency applicator to the second target area at a wet film thickness of from about 5 to about 150 microns to form a continuous layer of a combination of the first and second coating compositions that extends across the gap and also extends across at least an additional portion of the substrate, wherein the first and second coating compositions are applied either simultaneously or within a time such that each exhibits from about 0 and up to less than about 5 wt % of solvent evaporation prior to the application of the other,
• wherein each of the first and second high transfer efficiency applicators independently applies the first and second coating compositions respectively to the substrate without atomization such that at least about 99.9% of the applied coating compositions contact the respective first and second target areas, and wherein each of the first and second high transfer efficiency applicators comprises an array of nozzles wherein each nozzle in each array defines a nozzle orifice having a diameter of from about 0.00002 m to about 0.0004 m,
• wherein each of the first and second coating compositions independently comprises
• a carrier, and
• a binder that is present in an amount of from about 5 to about 70 weight percent based on a total weight of the respective coating composition,
• wherein the first coating composition and optionally the second coating composition comprises a pigment, and
• wherein each of the first and second coating compositions has a soluble dye colorant content of from about 0 and up to less than about 2 weight percent based on a total weight of the respective coating composition, and each independently has
• a solids content of from about 5 to about 70 weight % based on a total weight of the respective coating composition as measured in accordance with ASTM D2369,
• a viscosity of from about 0.002 Pa*s to about 0.2 Pa*s as measured according to ASTM 7867-13 with cone-and-plate or parallel plates at a shear rate of 1000 sec-,
• a density of from about 838 kg/m3 to about 1557 kg/m3, and
• a surface tension of from about 0.015 N/m to about 0.05 N/m.