(57) In the coating of a strip article of indeterminate length, wherein the article is continuously advanced lengthwise past a dam while liquid coating material is supplied to a major surface of the article ahead of the dam, the article is passed through a gap of extended length immediately beyond the dam, the gap being defined between uniformly spaced walls one of which faces the article surface bearing the coating material. The spacing between the gap walls is equal to the thickness of the strip article plus a desired wet thickness of the layer of coating material. Coating material of different colours or shades may be supplied to different portions of the strip surface for producing coatings of varied patterns.