Types of Melamine Finishes

Melamine, being a moldable synthetic material, is easily transformed into many shapes and finishes. The lifetime use of each melamine piece varies depending on three important factors of production. Let our design team guide your decision on which texture, decal, and material to use for your brand or business. Before envisioning your artistic conception, consider the intended use of the product and how that can affect the lifespan of the product. It is common to replace melamine pieces at one-fifth the rate of comparable stoneware pieces. This added benefit makes melamine the best option for many food service industries. Let’s go over some of the determining factors that lengthen life expectancy and minimize the replacement rate of melamine.

Common texture forms are linen, pebble, hammered, swirl, stone, slate, wood grain, geometric, and shell striped. These textures combined with unique shapes offer many custom possibilities. The finish on each texture is also available in either gloss, matte, or a mixture of both. Textures mixed with a decal create the illusion of hyper-realistic stoneware and wood pieces. Both methods elevate your display by playing a trick on the customer’s eyes while maintaining the cost-effective benefits of melamine.

The ideal texture for your application varies with the intended use. Some of the textures with the best masking abilities are rippled, speckled, bumpy, and rough designs. Glossy textures show wear quicker with heavy use. It is important to consider these design possibilities when picking the right plate or bowl for your business. Our design team has the capability of providing you with the best option for your desired application.

Decal designs also provide a masking quality depending on color, shape, size and intricacy of the artwork. Dark decals on a light surface tend to show wear quicker when compared to a dark decal on a dark surface. Consider how the underlying color can drastically improve the durability of a melamine piece. A full decal piece has more signs of wear when compared to a partial decal piece. Embossed designs are a clever way to add dimension to your melamine without diminishing the wear and durability.

The material options extend to the color and style of the material when considering adding dimension to your design. Melamine pulp is customizable to a certain extent. Speckled designs add a layer of depth to each piece which also helps hide signs of wear. The raw form of melamine is a colorless and odorless powder that is customizable through the coloring and dying of melamine pulp. The material composition of the melamine pulp also determines the color and durability of the product. Taking this into consideration can influence your annual average replacement rate. Ask our design team how you can minimize overhead costs while maximizing the promotion of your brand.