Paint Sheen: 7 Types of Paint Finishes
Written By: Areej Malik
What is paint sheen? Firstly, let’s discuss sheen. According to Wikipedia, “Sheen is a measure of the reflected light (glossiness) from a paint finish. Glossy and flat (or matte) are typical extreme levels of glossiness of a finish. Glossy paints are shiny and reflect most light in the specular (mirror-like) direction, while on flat paints most of the light diffuses in a range of angles. The gloss level of paint can also affect its apparent color.”
What are the different paint sheens?
Sheen varies from brand to brand. Gloss sheens have the highest light-reflective characteristics. A higher sheen means a higher shine that will be more durable. On the other hand, flat paint has the lowest shine. Here are some major types of sheen.
- Flat
- Matte
- Eggshell
- Low Luster
- Satin
- Semi-Gloss
- Gloss
1. Flat Paint
Flat paint sheen is a shallow reflective finish that dries instantly. It helps to give the best color payout. Flat paint is best for walls having patches, uneven textures, or any other imperfections. Flat paint color makes flaws and imperfections less noticeable and gives an overall matte look.
2. Matte Paint
Matte finish is almost as shiny-free as flat, and it still has excellent hide and depth of color, but it’s a little more durable. Matte finish paint can also withstand a lot of washing, even in places like hallways and family rooms that get a lot of traffic. A matte finish adds a sense of luxury to many types of rooms in the home, including bedrooms and dining rooms.
Also read my article: Types Of House Paint: Everything You Need To Know About House Paints
3. Eggshell
Eggshell is one of the most popular paint finishes. It looks like flat or matte paint, but it’s much more durable. It is popular with professional and DIY painters alike. Eggshell is a paint sheen or gloss that looks flat but slightly glossed.
Eggshell paint is between matte and satin paint sheens. Eggshell sheen might be called universal. It reflects more light than matte to produce a low luster. This low luster pulls out more of the paint’s color than a flat sheen.
Read my article Eggshell Paint: Everything You Need to Know about Eggshell Painting or Eggshell Sheen to learn more about eggshell paint.
4. Low luster paint
Low Lustre paints are more glossy than flat and matte paints. This paint is excellent for areas requiring some gloss and has good cleaning properties and moisture resistance. It is used in exterior coatings and is best suited for siding and masonry surfaces.
5. Satin
Satin delivers a higher gloss while offering better stain resistance and durability. It is ideal for areas that crave definition. It highlights windows, shutters, trim, and interior doors. Stain paint sheen is easy to clean, which makes it excellent for high-traffic areas. Its biggest flaw is it reveals application flaws, such as roller or brush strokes. Touch-ups later can be challenging.
6. Semi-Gloss
Semi-Gloss is suitable for rooms with a lot of moisture, drips, and grease stains. It’s also suitable for walls and trim work that get a lot of wear and tear. The luminous look of semi-gloss paint is perfect for highlighting the architectural details of your home and giving millwork, trim, and doors a sense of depth. Because it looks so shiny and smooth when it’s dry, it’s one of the best paint finishes for kitchen cabinets.
Read my article: How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets
7. High Gloss
High-gloss paint sheen is challenging, ultra-shiny, and light-reflective and is the most durable and easiest to clean of all paint sheens. Consider the durability of appliance paint.
Practice your technique and prime any surfaces to make sure they’re completely clean before painting if you’re doing it yourself. To avoid making things look bad, don’t use a gloss finish on anything that isn’t completely smooth
Uses of sheen
Final Words
Paint sheen is the glossiness or shine of a paint finish. Glossy paint is shiny and reflects more light. On the other hand, most of the light diffuses in a range of angles in flat paints.
For more details and superior paint sheen quality, count on your local experts at WC Painting Services. We can help you with your project. To learn more, Call WC Painting Services at (508-657-4104) or schedule an online estimate today. Thanks for reading. Have a good day!
Also, read the mentioned article: W.C Painting Services Is The One Local Painter
