# PPAP Appearance Approval Report (AAR) Template

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/ppap-appearance-approval-report-template
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Record appearance item details, colour and grain evidence, master sample status and customer approval in a document you can export.

## Category

quality

## Industry

Automotive

## Audience

- Supplier quality engineer
- Quality engineer

## Tool

**Kind:** template

**Output:** document

**Fields:**

#### Supplier name

**Key:** supplier

**Type:** text

**Default:** Acme Molded Plastics Ltd

#### Part number

**Key:** part_no

**Type:** text

**Default:** TRM-20917

#### Part name

**Key:** part_name

**Type:** text

**Default:** Interior trim bezel

#### Customer

**Key:** customer

**Type:** text

**Default:** Example Automotive Tier 1

#### Report date

**Key:** date

**Type:** date

**Default:** 2026-10-20

#### Colour / spec

**Key:** colour

**Type:** text

**Default:** Graphite Grey, spec CS-4471 rev B

#### Grain / texture

**Key:** grain

**Type:** text

**Default:** Fine leather grain G-12

#### Material and supplier

**Key:** material

**Type:** text

**Default:** PC/ABS blend, lot L-5521

#### Tool / cavity

**Key:** tool

**Type:** text

**Default:** Tool T-310, cavities 1 to 4

#### Colour measurement result

**Key:** measure

**Type:** textarea

**Default:** Spectrophotometer D65/10 deg, delta E vs master: 0.62 max across 5 parts. Gloss at 60 deg: 3.1 to 3.4 GU.

#### Disposition requested

**Key:** disp

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- Approved
- Approved as noted
- Rejected

**Default:** Approved

**Blocks:**

#### Appearance Approval Report

**Body:** Supplier: {{supplier}}
Customer: {{customer}}
Part number: {{part_no}}
Part name: {{part_name}}
Report date: {{date}}

#### Appearance item details

**Body:** Colour and specification: {{colour}}
Grain or texture: {{grain}}
Material and lot: {{material}}
Tool and cavities: {{tool}}

#### Measurement and evidence

**Body:** {{measure}}

Attach: colour data export, photos under controlled lighting, master sample reference.

#### Evaluation matrix

**Table:**

**Columns:**

- Item
- Requirement
- Result
- Pass / fail

**Rows:**

**0:** Colour match

**1:** Within customer delta E limit

**0:** Gloss

**1:** Within gloss range

**0:** Grain / texture

**1:** Matches approved grain plate

**0:** Surface defects

**1:** No sink, flash or splay on A surface

**0:** Master sample

**1:** Retained and tagged

#### Disposition

**Body:** Disposition requested: {{disp}}

Customer comments:

#### Approvals

**Signatures:**

- Supplier representative
- Customer appearance approver

**Notes:** Use only for parts with appearance requirements. Many customers have their own AAR form and limits; treat this as a structure for collecting the same information, not as a replacement for a mandated form.

## Content

**Intro:** The appearance approval report is the PPAP record for parts where colour, grain, gloss or texture is a customer requirement. It captures what was measured, what master sample was set and what the customer decided. This template creates a tidy document you can export and attach.

**Sections:**

#### How to use the template

**Body:** Fill in the part, material, colour and grain details, then summarise your measurements in the evidence field. Print or export the document, attach the colour data and photos, and send it with the master sample if the customer requires one. The evaluation matrix lets reviewers tick each appearance characteristic. Keep a retained sample so future production can be compared to the approved reference.

**Bullets:**

- Use controlled lighting for photos
- Record the instrument, illuminant and angle
- Tag and retain the master sample
- Note any customer-specific limits

#### Method behind colour measurement

**Body:** Colour is commonly compared with a spectrophotometer and expressed as a colour difference value against the master, with limits set by the customer. The illuminant and observer, such as D65 and 10 degrees, must match the customer's method, or numbers will not be comparable. Gloss is measured at an angle, often 60 degrees for plastics, and grain is verified against an approved grain plate or sample.

#### Reading the example

**Body:** The sample describes an interior trim bezel in a grey colour with a leather-style grain. The measurement summary shows a small colour difference across five parts and a gloss range. The matrix is empty so the reviewer can complete it. Replace values with your own readings and requirements before submission.

#### Common mistakes

**Body:** Typical issues are measuring with a different geometry from the customer, approving colour under factory lighting rather than the agreed light booth, and failing to retain a master sample. Another is changing material lot or colour masterbatch after approval without notifying the customer. Treat changes to colour, grain tool or material as notifiable.

**Cta:** If lot and tooling traceability sits in your ERP, Netray can help link appearance approvals to the lot and tool data, read-only.

**Faq:**

#### Is an appearance approval report always required?

**Answer:** No. It applies to parts with appearance requirements such as colour, grain or texture. If the part has none, mark the element as not applicable in your PPAP checklist as agreed with the customer.

#### What is a master sample?

**Answer:** A master sample is an approved part kept as the visual and colour reference. It is tagged with part number, revision and approval date, and retained by the supplier and sometimes the customer for comparison with production.

#### What delta E is acceptable?

**Answer:** There is no universal value. The customer defines the limit and the measurement method in their colour specification. Use the number in your customer's document, and record the instrument and illuminant used.

#### Can I export this as a Word file?

**Answer:** Yes. Use the export options for Word, PDF or Excel. You can paste images and add the customer form fields in the exported document.

## Search terms

appearance approval report template, ppap aar form, appearance approval report example, ppap element 13 appearance, colour grain texture approval, ppap appearance report excel

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