Powder coating, anodizing, or chrome plating: which finish is right for a metal display?

Powder coating, anodizing, or chrome plating: which finish is right for a metal display?

A:Powder coating is the default for indoor retail fixtures. Anodizing is the better call on aluminum where abrasion and moisture are a factor, and chrome plating is used for a mirror finish on low-wear cosmetic parts rather than on large panels. Pick for the environment first, then for the look.

Powder coatingAny RAL or Pantone
AnodizingAluminum, cannot flake
Chrome platingTrim and handles only

What each finish is good at

  • Powder coating — a thick, chip-resistant color layer that can be matched to any RAL or Pantone reference; fine indoors and under cover outdoors.
  • Anodizing — an integral oxide layer on aluminum that cannot flake; good in wet or high-touch areas, but the color range is narrower.
  • Chrome plating — the brightest finish, and also the one that shows scratches and fingerprints; best kept to handles, hooks, and trim.
  • Humid or chilled aisles — powder coat on pretreated steel or anodized aluminum; keep bare plating away from cut edges.

Where finishes fail first

Cut edges and weld points corrode first, and cleaning chemicals do more damage to a finish than shopper traffic ever will. Write the edge treatment into the drawing, and test a coated sample against the cleaners your stores actually use before you commit to a production run.

Talk through finishes for your fixture

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