Easy Paint Calc

Paint sheen chart: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and gloss

By the Easy Paint Calc team · Published

Sheen is how much light a dry paint film reflects. It changes how a wall looks, how well it hides flaws and how well it stands up to scrubbing, but it barely changes how far the paint goes. Here are the sheens in order, the gloss numbers the manufacturers publish, and where each one is usually used.

Paint sheens in order

From least to most shiny: flat, matte, eggshell, satin (sometimes called pearl or low-lustre), semi-gloss, and gloss or high gloss. Names are not standardized between brands: one maker’s satin can be shinier than another’s eggshell. The only common yardstick is the gloss reading on the data sheet, measured with a gloss meter at 60° (and at 85° for low sheens) and reported in “units”.

Gloss readings as printed on each product’s data sheet (linked under Sources). Low sheens are measured at 85°, where differences show up better; higher sheens at 60°. Readings at different angles can’t be compared directly.
SheenGloss reading on the data sheetProduct it comes from
Flat1.5–3.5 units at 85°Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC Flat
Flat0–5 at 60°, 0–5 at 85°Behr Premium Plus Interior Flat
Matte2–6 at 85°Benjamin Moore Advance Matte
Eggshell15–20 at 85° (5+ at 60°)Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Eg-Shel
Eggshell15–22 at 85°Benjamin Moore Regal Select Eggshell
Low sheen eg-shel25–30 at 85° (0–5 at 60°)Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Low Sheen Eg-Shel
Satin15–25 at 60°Behr Premium Plus Interior Satin Enamel
Semi-gloss45–55 at 60°Behr Premium Oil-Based Semi-Gloss Enamel
Gloss60–70 at 60°Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC Gloss

Which sheen for which room

Common practice, not rules. The data sheet for your paint lists the surfaces it is made for.
WhereUsual sheenWhy
CeilingsFlatHides roller marks and flaws under raking light; nobody scrubs a ceiling.
Living rooms, bedrooms, dining roomsFlat, matte or eggshellLow sheen hides wall imperfections; eggshell wipes clean better.
Hallways, kids’ rooms, family roomsEggshell or satinMore scrubbable where hands and bags touch the walls.
Kitchens and bathroomsSatin or semi-glossMoisture and grease; look for a kitchen-and-bath paint.
Trim, baseboards, doorsSemi-gloss or satin enamelHard, wipeable, and the contrast frames the walls.
CabinetsSatin or semi-gloss enamelHandled daily; enamels cure hard.
Exterior sidingFlat or satinFlat hides siding flaws; satin sheds dirt.
Exterior trim and front doorsSemi-gloss or glossDurable and easy to clean; gloss makes a door stand out.

Trim and doors use far less paint than walls: how much trim paint for one room is usually a quart, and so is how much paint for a door. Baseboards by the foot are on how much paint for baseboards.

What sheen changes, and what it doesn’t

  • Coverage barely changes. The ProMar 200 data sheets list the same 350–400 sq ft per gallon for flat, eg-shel and semi-gloss. Plan the same gallons whatever sheen you pick.
  • Higher sheen shows more flaws. Light bounces off a shiny surface and picks out every dent, patch and taped joint. For gloss paints on walls under harsh light, USG recommends a Level 5 skim-coated finish.
  • Higher sheen cleans better. Glossier films are tighter, so stains wipe off rather than soaking in.
  • Touch-ups show more in sheen. A patch of fresh eggshell on an old eggshell wall often flashes; flat touches up almost invisibly.
  • Sheen rises as paint cures and can look different on a primed patch than on old paint. Prime patches before the finish coat.

Bathrooms, kitchens and cabinets

Moisture-prone rooms are where sheen matters most. A small bathroom is a one-gallon job (how much paint for a small bathroom), and a satin or semi-gloss made for baths resists mildew and steam. Kitchen cabinets take an enamel in satin or semi-gloss; the kitchen cabinet page works out a typical kitchen at about two-thirds of a gallon for two coats. Spray-painted furniture comes in the same range of sheens; how many cans of spray paint for a dresser covers a typical piece.

Exterior sheens

Outside, flat and satin are the usual siding sheens, with semi-gloss or gloss on trim, doors and shutters. A glossy front door is a classic: how much paint for a front door is under a quart for two coats. The A-100 exterior latex data sheet, for example, lists its flat at 0–5 units at 85°.

Choosing in the store

  • Look at a painted sample board under light like your room’s, not under the store’s fluorescent tubes.
  • Buy a sample of your color in two sheens and paint them side by side on the wall you are painting.
  • Keep the same sheen for walls throughout a house if you want touch-ups to blend; change the color, not the sheen.
  • Write the product, sheen and color formula on the lid of the touch-up can.
CalculatorRoom Paint Calculator →How many gallons, whatever the sheen.

Calculators for this project

Frequently asked questions

What are the paint sheens in order?

Flat, matte, eggshell, satin (or pearl), semi-gloss, and gloss or high gloss, from least to most shiny. Names vary by brand; the gloss reading on the data sheet is the real comparison.

Does semi-gloss cover less than flat?

No. Within a line, the coverage per gallon is usually the same; Sherwin-Williams lists 350–400 sq ft per gallon for both its ProMar 200 flat and semi-gloss.

Sources