Until you decide to paint something yourself, you may not be familiar with the difference between matte and gloss paint, and you may have no idea what flat paint actually is. But don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. 

In this guide, we’re specifically taking a look at the difference between matte and flat paint. If you are redecorating your kitchen, then you will find yourself debating not only what color to opt for but what type of paint to choose too. 

So if you want to find out what matte and flat paint are and what the difference is between the two, keep on reading! 

What is Matte Paint?

Matte paint is one of the most popular types of paint in the world. The majority of people will use matte paint at some point in their homes.

Matte paint does not have a shiny finish. Instead, this paint has a pretty solid, low-gloss finish, similar to acrylic paint that you would use for a children’s painting. 

Low-gloss paint is incredibly popular for use on the walls in your home as it is great for covering imperfections.

Satin and gloss finish paints tend to highlight imperfections because they create a surface for the light in your home to reflect off of. So any little imperfections in the plaster on your walls will be highlighted by the paint. 

In contrast, matte paint creates a solid finish that allows light to be absorbed into the walls rather than reflected.

This means that your room will be lit up, but the light will be absorbed into the walls so imperfections will be hidden rather than highlighted. This is the main reason people opt for matte paint for the walls in their home.

What is Flat Paint?

Another type of paint that many people opt for in their homes is flat paint. Flat paint and matte paint are very similar to one another, and that is because they both do not have a shiny finish once they are applied to the wall. 

While wet, flat paint might look like it has a gloss finish, but once it dries, the flat paint will dry almost matte, just like matte paint.

Instead of reflecting light, flat paint absorbs the light, and this allows the paint to hide any imperfections on the walls. Imperfections on walls are a lot more common than you might expect, and that is why so many people opt for a solid finish rather than a shiny finish.

Gloss paint is more common on trims, and many people use this style of paint for door frames, skirting boards and sometimes even for doors themselves.

Whereas matte and flat paint are a lot more common as wall paints. You could use gloss paint for your walls, but this is something that many people choose not to do, simply because the end result isn’t actually that good. 

What is the Difference Between Matte and Flat Paint?

So now that we have taken a look at what matte paint and flat paint are, let’s take a look at the differences between the two. 

Well, in all honesty, the differences between matte and flat paint are so minuscule that most of the time, people will be unable to tell the difference between the two.

Most of the time, unless you are trained in fine art or a professional painter, you will be unable to tell the difference between the two.

To an untrained eye, these two paints look exactly the same. But, if you know what you are looking for, you will be able to notice that matte paint has a slightly more glossy finish than matte. 

You may expect matte paint to be the less glossy of the two, but that isn’t actually the case. Matte paint is slightly more reflective than flat paint, and that is because of the chemicals used to create the paint.

The chemicals that are used to create the paint are a big part of what makes these two paints different from one another. Flat paint has the highest amount of pigment out of all the different types of paint that exist, and this is part of what prevents the glossy finish. 

But, as we have said, to an untrained eye, the difference is literally imperceptible. So, most of the time, you will be able to use matte and flat paint interchangeably without any issue.

How Are Matte and Flat Paint Similar?

Finally, let’s wrap this up by taking a quick look at what makes these two different types of paint similar. Matte and flat paint are similar to the point of almost being identical.

There are only certain colors where the difference between the two is really noticeable. Most of the time the difference between the two isn’t at all noticeable. 

If you are redecorating your home this is a great thing. If you have previously painted your kitchen with green matte paint, and need to give it a fresher up, you could easily pick up flat paint if there is no matte available, and vice versa.

You may notice a slight difference when applying the paint as flat paint tends to cover the wall a little easier than matte paint. But once the paint has dried, we’re confident you won’t be able to tell them apart. 

Summary

In short, the difference between matte and flat paint is barely noticeable. Of the two, flat paint has a slightly less glossy finish than matte, but both of these paints are incredibly similar to one another.

So much so that unless you are a professional painter, you likely won’t be able to tell the difference. 

Thanks for reading!

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