Finishes

Matthews offers an array of brilliant finishes that bring out the full beauty of our cast and waterjet-cut letters. Cast and waterjet-cut letter edges have a fine sandblasted finish.

Aluminum Finishes

Satin
Natural metal color with a brushed satin surface. Cast letters 3" and smaller have vertical grain lines. Cast letters 4" and above have horizontal grain lines. Waterjet-cut letters will have a horizontal satin finish unless specified otherwise.

Polished
Aluminum is buffed to a high luster and then coated with lacquer. Available on cast letters 2" and smaller and on all waterjet-cut letters.

Painted (Cast Aluminum)
Faces of cast aluminum letters are sanded to a fine satin finish. The entire letter is then painted to obtain a durable finish. A wide variety of standard colors are available; an infinite number of custom colors can be specified at an additional cost.

Polyurethane Painted (Waterjet-Cut Aluminum)
A fine satin finish is applied to the face of waterjet-cut letters and the entire letter is then sprayed with an acrylic polyurethane paint. Colors available are the same as with painted cast letters. Standard finish is gloss.

Anodized (Waterjet-Cut Aluminum)
Faces of letters are prepared the same as for satin aluminum. The entire letter is then clear-anodized.  Available colors include Clear, Black, Light Bronze, Medium Bronze, and Dark Bronze. Painted equivalents are also available.

Random-Orbital
The natural metal color with multidirectional brushed lines.

Brass, Bronze, Copper & Muntz Metal Finishes

Satin
Cast letters 3" in height and smaller have vertical grain lines. Cast letters 4" and above have horizontal grain lines. Waterjet-cut letters will have a horizontal finish unless specified otherwise.

Polished
Natural metal color, buffed to a bright surface.

Oxidized
A natural finish available on cast bronze and waterjet-cut bronze, brass, and muntz metal. Faces of waterjet-cut letters are brushed to a satin finish, while cast bronze letters are sandblasted to a fine matte finish. Variations in color from piece to piece can occur since this process depends largely upon natural oxidation. Colors will vary from a rich golden hue to almost black (specify light, medium, or dark).

Chrome-Plated
Available on cast bronze only. Letters are finished to the same specifications as polished bronze. Two layers of plating are then applied. The resulting finish is almost mirror-like. For satin, polished, and chrome-plated samples, click here.

Stainless Steel Finishes

Satin
Specify vertical or horizontal grain on waterjet-cut letters.

Polished
The natural metal color buffed to a high luster.

Random-Orbital
The natural metal color with multidirectional brushed lines. Click here for finish samples.

Clear Coatings

Protective clear coatings are used on all metals except stainless steel. Coatings are available in gloss or semi-gloss. Please specify interior or exterior installation (coatings for exterior installation are polyurethane-based).