Benjamin Moore Sheen Levels

The shininess of a paint film is referred to as its sheen. It is a measure of how much light is reflected from the surface - the shinier the surface, the higher the % reflectance.

There are no particular standards in the UK paint industry for how to name sheen levels nor what % reflectance a particular name might refer to - each manufacturer has different names and reflectance levels for their paints.

Benjamin Moore paints offer 6 sheen levels for interior paints and 4 sheen levels for exterior paints.

Interior Paints

Sheen Name	Typical % reflectance	Products available in this sheen
Flat / Ultra Flat	0-4% sheen at 85°	Regal Select®, Ultra Spec 500, Ceiling Paint
Matte	3-10% sheen at 85°	Aura®, Aura® Bath and Spa, Regal Select®, Ben®, Scuff-X®
Eggshell	10-25% sheen at 85°	Aura®, Regal Select®, Ultra Spec 500®, Scuff-X®
Satin / Pearl	20-35% sheen at 60°	Aura®, Regal Select®, Advance WB Alkyd, Scuff-X®, Ultra Spec 500®
Semi-Gloss/ Gloss	40-65% sheen at 60°	Aura®, Scuff-X®
High Gloss	>85% sheen at 60°	Advance WB Alkyd

Exterior Paints

Sheen Name	% Reflectance	Products available in this sheen
Flat	0-3% sheen at 85°	Aura® Exterior, Regal Select® Exterior, Element Guard®
Low Lustre	9-15% sheen at 85°	Aura® Exterior, Regal Select® Exterior
Satin	20-30% sheen at 60°	Aura Exterior®
High Gloss	>85% sheen at 60°	Advance WB Alkyd

Glazes, Clear-coats

Sheen Name	% Reflectance	Products available in this sheen
Flat	max 5% @ 60°	Stays Clear
Low Lustre	35-45 % @ 60°	Stays Clear
Gloss	75+ @60°	Stays Clear

For shinier paints, the reflectance is measured by shining light at an angle of 60° to the paint surface. For flatter paints, the angle of measurement is 85°.

In a room, the amount of light falling on a surface will change how shiny it appears. So, shinier sheens will not appear as shiny in dimly lit rooms as in brightly lit rooms.