Global coating and ink markets are in an innovative mood. The innovations are driven by environment, health, safety, quality improvement and cost reduction. Especially the regulations with respect to Volatile Organic Components (VOC) challenge companies to find solutions in waterbased, high-solids and solvent-free systems. During the development and implementation of new raw materials, chemistries, techniques and equipment in coatings and inks, technologists experience that the majority of the challenges they have to face have a physico-chemical background. At first sight the various challenges do not seem to have very much resemblance. However, when the problems in production, storage, application and film formation and the associated desired improvements, are studied more carefully it turns out that only a few physico-chemical phenomena govern the majority of the challenges to be faced. A huge amount of time and money can be saved when the technologists increase their ability to understand and recognise these fundamentals from case to case.