Common surface finishes for stainless steel cups

The shine and feel of a cup come from its surface finish. There are six common ones: natural steel, spray paint, powder coating, sublimation coating, plating and rubber paint.

Natural steel

No coating. The cup stays the colour of the stainless steel itself. It can be polished for a shiny surface or brushed for fine lines.

Spray paint

The usual options are glossy, matte and pearlescent.

Powder coating

There are two types: paint-look powder coating and regular powder coating.

Paint-look powder coating is still a powder coating, not paint, but it feels as smooth and fine as spray paint. Regular powder coating has the usual frosted, matte texture.

Sublimation coating

Usually white, with a smooth surface that’s easy to print on.

Plating

There are two kinds: vacuum plating and water plating. Vacuum plating has better colour and holds up better. Water plating’s colour and durability are a little below vacuum plating’s.

Plating also comes in two looks. Regular plating is shiny, with a clear, bright look. Ion plating is matte and slightly grainy, and feels a bit frosted.

Rubber paint

It feels soft to the touch, but it doesn’t hold up well.

Which one to choose

If you don’t want anything to chip or wear off, use natural steel.

For a glossy or matte solid colour, use spray paint or powder coating.

For a metallic shine, use plating.

If the feel matters most, use rubber paint, but expect it to wear more easily.

Colour difference between batches

Painted and powder-coated cups can differ slightly in colour from one batch to the next. Each batch uses a different lot of paint or powder, and the supplier mixes the colour again every time. Even with the same colour code, the pigment lot changes and the colour is mixed by hand, so there’s always some difference between two batches.

I keep a sample of the colour you approved. When you reorder, the supplier matches the colour to that sample, to keep it as close to the last batch as possible. I’ll also confirm the colour with you again.

If you’re not sure which finish to use, send me the look you want or a reference photo, and I’ll help you pick one.

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