Xerogels are solid, glass-like compounds formed through the sol-gel process. The sol-gel process is a route by which a colloidal solution is transformed into a solid gel through a series of hydrolysis and condensation reactions. The xerogel results from drying the gel via evaporation. The sol-gel process is growing increasingly popular in the field of materials research, in particular nanomaterials. It is hoped that by exercising a high degree of control over the synthesis of the initial solution, as well as the gelation conditions, that superior engineered materials exhibiting desirable characteristics can be formed. Many applications involving xerogels require that they be applied onto a surface as a thin film, this predominantly occurs via dip coating or spin coating. The aim of this thesis is to investigate xerogel films formed by dip coating in order to gain an improved understanding of the fundamental physics of film formation. Numerous forces shape the development of the xerogel microstructure and the thickness profile of the film as it gels. A particularly influential parameter in dip coating is the velocity at which the substrate is withdrawn from the solution. The extent to which gravity body force affects the developing film in comparison to the smaller scale surface tension force is also important. By conducting experiments under both normal and reduced gravity conditions it will be possible to establish the level of control that the various forces exhibit over the development of a thin film. A major undertaking of this thesis was to design and construct an apparatus capable of performing the dip coating operation under both normal gravity and reduced gravity conditions. In order to utilise The University of Queensland Drop Tower facility the apparatus had to operate autonomously with a single initiating action and also to withstand the high deceleration at the conclusion of each test. A series of normal gravity tests, using three different substrates and a range of withdrawal velocities, were conducted. Analysis of the films, using a scanning electron microscope, revealed that the microstructure of the substrate greatly affects xerogel film deposition. It was clear that the thickness of the film varied along the substrate and that the xerogel film deposited on either side of the substrate was not of equal thickness. It was apparent that the film thickness was influenced by surface tension and viscous interaction between the substrate and the solution. Reduced gravity testing was not performed as a part of this thesis although substrates were prepared and a test matrix was formulated. Reduced gravity testing is proposed as future work as is an extensive investigation into a variety of substrates to determine the most effective ones to use.