Satin Finishes

Pride Polishing delivers professional-grade satin finishes across virtually all metal types. To speak with the Pride Metals team about your project, request a quote.

What Is a Satin Finish?

A satin metal finish is one that yields a low-reflectivity, often textured surface on metal products, resulting in a semi-gloss sheen that is less bright than a highly reflective mirror polish. These finishes are highly practical and lower maintenance than mirror finishes while still lending an attractive, aesthetic appearance to metal surfaces. Common types of satin finishes include the #4 finish, #6 finish, and RA/RMS satin finish, along with long-grain and cross-grain variants.

RA/RMS Satin Finish

RA/RMS is a metered soft satin finish. During the finishing process, measurements are taken of the depth and top of the grain to determine the Roughness Average (RA) or Root Mean Square (RMS) until the overall roughness meets our customer’s specifications.

#4 Satin Finish

The industry standard satin finish, #4 satin is used in a variety of industries and applications. The #4 finish gives metal a unidirectional and textured, yet smooth appearance. Though most commonly applied to 304 stainless steel, this finish looks great on all metals, including bronze, brass, and aluminum.

#6 Satin Finish

This finish is similar to #4 satin, but with an even finer texture for a smoother appearance and brighter sheen. To achieve this finish, the metal undergoes additional polishing with a 240-320 grit abrasive belt, followed by cloth buffing.

What Are Satin Finishes Used For?

Satin finishes are commonly used in situations where metal surfaces are visible but also may be exposed to damaging, corrosive, or high-traffic environments. This visibility yet potential for deterioration requires a metal finish that is both aesthetically pleasing and easy to maintain.

Satin finishes, and particularly textured finishes, are resistant to visible scratching or blemishes, especially when compared to highly polished mirror finishes that may smudge more easily. This makes them ideal for use cases such as commercial kitchens, industrial facilities, and on high-contact surfaces such as railings or trim.