Powder spreadability is a key factor for ensuring a robust manufacturing with metal powder bed fusion (PBF) technologies such as selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM). In these technologies, the powder melts upon the impact of the laser or electron beam and, subsequently solidifies and densifies as it cools. Therefore, being able to consistently spread even powder layers with a high packing density is essential for complete melting and densification without local variations. However, so far it has been difficult to predict the spreadability of a powder with traditional methods such as Hall flowmeter or by modern techniques such as powder rheology or dynamic avalanche analysis. In this study, the spreadability of several gas atomized tool steel powders with different particle size distribution (PSD) have been evaluated in a newly developed equipment which mimics the spreading technique and layer thickness control of a commercial SLM system. The powder packing density as a function of re-coater speed and layer thickness was determined under process-like conditions. Topographic variations of the powder layer were characterized by Confocal microscopy combined with Focus Variation. In general, the results show that independent of powder properties in terms of PSD or flow properties, the re-coater speed has the most significant impact on powder packing density. In this study, the speed was varied between 100-200 mm/s and the results show that higher packing density can be achieved at lower speeds. This finding was confirmed by the topographic examination of the layer. In addition, the tests clearly reveal that broader PSD improves the packing density whereas layer thickness in the range of 30 to 120 µm has a minor effect with only a slight increase in packing density with increased layer thickness. The newly developed test equipment with its features, testing procedures, powder spreading results and initial correlation to SLM trials will be presented. It is foreseen that with further development in terms of automatization and integration of topographic evaluation tools, this test equipment can serve as a powerful tool for standardization and prediction of powder performance in all metal PBF processes.