Gloss

Marble coated with PVAC
Photo: V. Vergès-Belmin

Description

Gloss due to repeated touch
Photo: V. Vergès-Belmin

A subjective measure of the shine or luster of a surface based on the amount of specular, or mirror-like, reflection of light. A material that reflects light well has a high gloss surface. Unwanted light reflection is usually called glare.

Synonyms and Related Terms

glossy; glossiness; shine; sheen; glare

Resources and Citations

• ICOMOS-ISCS: Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns

• Boise Cascade Paper Group, The Paper Handbook, Boise Cascade, Portland OR, 1989

• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000