Reference

Paint Sheen Comparison

The six common sheens side by side, the gloss readings behind the names, and the usual choice and range for each room and surface.

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The sheens, from flat to gloss

Sheen is how much light a dry paint film reflects. More sheen means a harder, smoother, more washable surface, and also a surface that shows every dent, patch and roller mark under light that rakes across it.

Sheen Look Washability Hides flaws Typical use
Flat No shine Least washable, marks easily Best Ceilings, low-traffic walls
Matte Very low shine More washable than flat Very good Living rooms and bedrooms
Eggshell Low sheen Good Good Most walls, the usual default
Satin Soft sheen Very good Fair Kitchens, baths, halls, children’s rooms, siding
Semi-gloss Noticeable shine Excellent Poor Trim, doors, cabinets
Gloss High shine Best, hardest wearing Poorest Trim, doors, furniture, exterior trim

Sheen names are not standardised between brands: one maker’s eggshell can be shinier than another’s satin. To compare two products, compare the gloss readings on their data sheets or look at painted samples, not the names.

Gloss readings

A gloss meter shines a light at a set angle and measures the reflection in gloss units. Low sheens are measured at 85°, where differences show, and higher sheens at 60°. The Master Painters Institute (MPI) defines seven gloss levels that many specifications use:

MPI level Name Gloss units at 60° Gloss units at 85°
G1 Flat, matte 0–5 max 10
G2 Velvet 0–10 10–35
G3 Eggshell 10–25 10–35
G4 Satin 20–35 min 35
G5 Semi-gloss 35–70
G6 Gloss 70–85
G7 High gloss over 85

Usual sheen and range by room

These are the starting point and the range the sheen selector works within. Traffic, moisture, wall condition and your priority move the choice up or down inside the range.

Room or surface Usual choice Range
Living room, bedroom, dining room Eggshell Flat to satin
Kitchen Satin Eggshell to semi-gloss
Bathroom, laundry Satin Eggshell to semi-gloss
Hallway, stairs, children’s room Satin Eggshell to semi-gloss
Ceiling Flat Flat to satin
Trim and doors Semi-gloss Satin to gloss
Cabinets and furniture Semi-gloss Satin to gloss
Exterior siding Satin Flat to satin
Exterior trim, doors, shutters Semi-gloss Satin to gloss

The two adjustments that matter most are moisture, which calls for at least satin because a smoother film sheds water and resists mildew, and wall condition, which calls for one step down because sheen exaggerates every patch and seam.

Sheen and quantity

Sheen hardly changes how much paint a job takes: a gallon of flat and a gallon of semi-gloss in the same product line cover about the same area per coat, and the data sheets print similar figures. What changes is the prep. A glossy finish on a patched wall needs the patches filled flush, sanded and primed, or they show as dull spots; a flat finish forgives them.

Sheen also changes what happens next time. Painting over gloss or semi-gloss needs a scuff-sand or a bonding primer so the new coat grips, which the primer calculator covers under glossy surfaces.

Worked lookups

  • A family hallway, high traffic, smooth walls: the usual satin, one step up for traffic is semi-gloss, the top of the range.
  • A bedroom with patched plaster: the usual eggshell, one step down for the condition is matte.
  • A steamy bathroom ceiling: flat by default, raised to satin for the moisture.

Sources and notes

The gloss levels are the Master Painters Institute (MPI) gloss and sheen standard levels G1 to G7. The usual choices and ranges by room follow the general guidance in the sheen guides of Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore and Behr, combined into one table; they are a starting point, not a rule, and designers break them on purpose. Washability and hiding are relative within a product line; a premium matte can be more washable than a budget eggshell.

Calculators that use this table

The guide painting a room covers which sheen goes where in the order of work.