The last thing you spray on a model is the most nerve-wracking. A top coat seals your paint, locks down decals, and sets the final sheen, but a bad flat coat can frost, turning a clean matte finish into a chalky white haze that ruins hours of work. Two aerosol cans dominate this final step: Mr. Super Clear Flat (often just MSC) and Testors Dullcote. Both are lacquer-based matte sealers with cult followings. Having spec-mapped how finishing coats spray and cure, here is how they actually differ and how to spray either one without frosting.
The quick answer
Both are excellent, and most builders are happy with either. Mr. Super Clear Flat gives the deadest, most even matte and is the modeler's benchmark, worth seeking out if you want the flattest possible finish. Testors Dullcote is a hair less flat (a very slight satin sheen), a little more forgiving, and easier to find on a US shelf. Neither frosts because of the can; frosting is humidity and technique, and it is entirely avoidable.
Check Mr. Super Clear Flat price on Amazon
Head to head
| Mr. Super Clear Flat | Testors Dullcote | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Lacquer | Lacquer |
| Flatness | Dead flat, very even | Flat with faint satin |
| Frost risk | Low with good technique | Low with good technique |
| US availability | Specialty / import | Widely stocked |
| Price | around $15-20 | around $10-13 |
| Decal protection | Excellent | Excellent |
Flatness: MSC wins by a nose
If your only goal is the flattest, most uniform matte, the finish that kills every last bit of shine so a mecha reads as molded plastic instead of glossy toy, Mr. Super Clear Flat is the reference. It lays down an extremely fine, even matte with no sparkle and no cloudiness when sprayed right. Testors Dullcote is genuinely flat too, but side by side it carries a whisper of satin sheen. For most builds that difference is invisible; for a competition finish under bright light, MSC has the edge.
Mr. Super Clear also comes in a UV-cut flat variant that adds fade protection, a nice bonus for display pieces near a window. If you want the full breakdown of MSC on its own, our Mr. Super Clear flat top coat review covers the variants and how thin to spray.
Frosting: it is never the can's fault
Here is the truth about the frosting horror stories: both cans frost under the same conditions, and neither frosts when you avoid them. Frosting happens when a lacquer coat dries before it reaches the surface, leaving microscopic dried resin that scatters light into a white haze. The three causes are always the same:
- Humidity. Spraying a matte lacquer on a humid day is the number-one cause. Wait for dry conditions, or warm the room.
- Distance. Holding the can too far means the coat half-dries in the air. Stay around 15-20 cm.
- Over-application panic. Thin passes, not one wet flood. Two or three light coats beat one heavy one every time.
Warming the can slightly in a bowl of warm (not hot) water before spraying and working in low humidity eliminates almost all frosting for both products. The technique is identical whichever can you buy, and it is walked through in how to top coat a model.
Decal and paint protection
Both seal waterslide decals and protect the paint underneath equally well. A matte coat also hides the tell-tale shine of decal carrier film, the silvering that makes a marking look stuck-on, by unifying the sheen across the whole model. Spray a gloss or semi-gloss under the decals, apply them, then a flat coat on top, and both MSC and Dullcote will make markings look painted-on. Neither has an advantage here; both are lacquer and both bite down hard once cured.
Safety: read this before you press the nozzle
This is not optional gear advice, it is the part that matters most on this page. Both Mr. Super Clear and Dullcote are lacquer aerosols, and they atomize solvent vapor and fine resin into the air the instant you spray. That mist belongs nowhere near your lungs. Spray outdoors or in a spray booth that vents to a window, never in a closed room, and wear an organic-vapor respirator; a paper dust mask does nothing against solvent vapor. A cartridge respirator like a 3M organic-vapor kit is the single most important thing you can own for rattle-can work, and a folding spray booth that pulls overspray out a window makes indoor top-coating far safer in an apartment. Our guides to the best respirators for airbrushing and best spray booths for home hobbyists cover what to buy; treat both as required for lacquer, not nice-to-have.
Because these are lacquers, they also share the chemistry pitfalls covered in lacquer vs acrylic vs enamel: a hot lacquer flat can craze fresh acrylic paint if you flood it on, so let your base coats cure and build the flat in thin passes.
Which should you buy
Buy Mr. Super Clear Flat if you want the flattest, most even matte finish and do not mind hunting it down or paying a little more. Check Mr. Super Clear Flat price on Amazon
Buy Testors Dullcote if you want a proven, slightly more forgiving flat that is easy to find on a US shelf for a few dollars less, and can live with a barely perceptible satin over dead-flat.
The verdict
You cannot go wrong. Mr. Super Clear Flat is the modeler's benchmark for a reason, the deadest, most even matte on the market, and it is our pick when flatness is the priority. Testors Dullcote is the dependable, widely available alternative that costs less and forgives a little more, at the price of a whisper of sheen. The choice between them matters far less than the technique: spray thin, spray in low humidity, warm the can, and wear a respirator. Do that and either can gives you a flawless final coat. See where matte coats rank among finishing gear on our best-of hub, and to picture the airbrush the rest of your finish flows through, explore the bench.
A quick, honest note: some links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we may earn a commission when you buy through them — at no extra cost to you. It never changes the price you pay.
Questions builders ask
Why did my matte top coat turn white and frosty?
Frosting is caused by the lacquer drying before it lands, usually from high humidity, holding the can too far away, or flooding on too heavy a coat. It is not a defect in the can; both Mr. Super Clear and Dullcote frost under those conditions and neither frosts when you avoid them. Spray in low humidity, hold the can around 15-20 cm away, build two or three thin passes, and warm the can in warm water first. Those steps eliminate almost all frosting.
Is Mr. Super Clear flatter than Testors Dullcote?
Slightly, yes. Mr. Super Clear Flat lays down a deader, more uniform matte with no perceptible sheen, which is why it is the benchmark for competition finishes. Testors Dullcote is genuinely flat but carries a faint satin sheen next to MSC. For most builds the difference is invisible; under bright display light on a show piece, MSC has the edge. Both protect paint and decals equally well.
Do you need a respirator to spray Mr. Super Clear or Dullcote?
Yes. Both are lacquer aerosols that put solvent vapor and fine resin mist into the air immediately, and a dust mask offers no protection against solvent vapor. Wear an organic-vapor cartridge respirator and spray outdoors or in a booth that vents outside, never in a closed room. This is the most important safety rule in finishing, and it applies to every lacquer rattle can, not just these two.
Can you use a matte top coat over decals?
Yes, and you should. A flat coat seals waterslide decals and hides the shiny carrier film that makes markings look stuck-on, unifying the sheen so they read as painted. The usual order is a gloss coat, then decals, then a matte coat to seal and flatten everything. Both Mr. Super Clear and Dullcote do this equally well since both are lacquer sealers.
