A PVD colour is one of the easiest finishes to approve wrongly. The colour that reaches the wall is the result of a base material, a base surface, a coating and a viewing condition, and each of them can shift the result. A screenshot of a sample does not record any of that, which is why a physical sample and a written approval record carry so much weight on a coloured stainless steel order.
What a PVD finish is
PVD, or physical vapour deposition, applies a very thin metallic or coloured layer to the surface of the stainless steel in a vacuum process. The layer is part of the surface rather than a coating sitting on top of it, and it is normally combined with a base finish such as brushed, satin or mirror. The base surface still shapes the result, because the coating follows whatever texture is already there. Worldstainless surface treatment notes describe the range of finishing routes available to stainless steel, of which colour coating is one. [2]
Why the sample decides the colour
The same colour name can look different on a mirror surface and on a brushed surface, on a light base and on a darker one, and under warm and cool lighting. ASSDA explains that coloured and patterned stainless steel is produced by a defined process on a defined base, so the base and the process both have to be named. [1] A sample approved without stating those conditions is an approval of a photograph, not of a product.
What a usable sample contains
Ask for a sample piece that is the same grade, the same base finish and the same colour as the ordered material, and ask for it to be marked with the finish reference and the batch. If the visible surface is brushed, the sample should be brushed; if the project combines a mirror and a satin face, both should be seen. A sample that is only a colour chip taken from a different product is useful for a first conversation, but it cannot close an approval.
Fix the viewing condition before the sign-off
Agree where the sample is reviewed, under what lighting and from which angle, and record it. A sample that is approved in a showroom under one light and installed in a lobby under another has not really been approved. Where the area is large enough to matter, take the reference to the actual light: hold the sample at the intended position, look at it from the normal viewing distance, and compare it with the adjacent materials that will be next to it. [1]
Write the approval down
Record the finish reference, the base finish, the base material, the batch, the viewing condition, the date and the person who approved it, and attach the sample to the file. This is a short document, and it settles most later arguments, because both sides are looking at the same reference. State how a replacement piece will be matched to an approved batch, and how a variation in batch tone should be raised before the pieces are installed rather than afterwards.
Plan the handling of a coloured surface
A coloured surface is usually supplied with a protective film, and that film is part of the specification rather than a packaging detail. Confirm which faces are protected, how long the film should remain after installation, whether the panels are separated in transit, and how the site will handle the pieces without marking the colour. Cleaning guidance for stainless steel is worth reading before the handover, because some products used for general cleaning will affect a coated surface. [3]
Before you request a quotation
- Base material, base finish and the coating route
- A sample piece from the same material and process as the order
- The finish reference, the batch and a written approval record
- The viewing condition: place, light, angle and distance
- Protection, separation and site handling of the coloured surface
- How replacements and batch variation are handled
Discuss your project
Share your drawing reference, quantity, finish and delivery destination. Contact us about pvd stainless steel sheets, or prepare a structured brief.
Technical references
The purchasing checklists are MetalPro editorial guidance. Linked sources support the specific material and process notes marked above.
