A composite material comprising a metallic substrate and a coating on at least one side of the metallic substrate, wherein the coating comprises an acrylic or styrene-acrylic based polymer and is less than about 0.2 mils thick, wherein the polymer has a molecular weight of 50,000 to 1,000,000, a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 50-80° C., and comprises 90-100 wt. % of the total solids in the coating.The method of applying a coating to a metal substrate using a manifold flood and squeegee roll configuration or alternatively roll coater techniques; wherein the roll hardness, shape, pressure and speed are chosen to ensure that the coating composition forms a continuous wet film on the metallic substrate surfaces when the strip travels at up to 600 feet per minute; and the wet film has a uniform thickness of 2 mil (0.002 inch) or less.