仕上げ
matte finish
Japanese: マット仕上げ
A matte finish with subdued luster. Created through sandblasting or fine grinding.
Learn More
A matte finish is a technique in which the gloss is removed from a glass surface through polishing or sandblasting, resulting in a smooth yet non-reflective texture. Applying a matte finish to clear glass creates a soft, diffused light transmission, enhancing the material’s texture and creating a calm, subdued atmosphere. It also offers the practical benefit of making the piece less prone to showing fingerprints.
A matte finish achieved through polishing is created by uniformly creating scratches with a grinding wheel that has a low (coarse) grit number. To achieve a uniform matte finish, it is important to use abrasive particles of consistent size and to polish evenly in a single direction with consistent pressure. If you wish to restore the gloss, you can either repolish the matte surface through polishing or use fire-polishing—heating the piece inside a furnace—to restore its original luster.
Related Concepts
By understanding the grinding and polishing processes using felt pads, table routers, and disk pads, you can adjust the matte finish.
This entry is written in Japanese by Rei Chikaoka and translated for readers outside Japan. If something reads oddly, the original is the source of truth.