Choosing a laminate: thickness, finish, and where each belongs

15 August 2026

Use 1 mm on anything you touch, open or put weight on. Use 0.8 mm on the sides and interiors nobody sees. Pick the finish for how the surface will be used, not for how it photographs.

Thickness

0.8 mm — the standard for shutter interiors, wardrobe backs, cabinet sides and any surface that is seen but not handled. Cheaper, and lighter on a large run of carcass work.
1 mm — the working thickness. Kitchen shutters, wardrobe fronts, tabletops, anything with a handle on it or a bag put down on it.
1.25 mm and above — counters, reception desks, shop fittings, and horizontal surfaces that take a beating.

Sheets are made to a standard 8 ft × 4 ft, which is what your carpenter plans around. Compact laminate, at 6–12 mm, is a different product entirely: it needs no substrate and is used for locker doors, bathroom cubicles and outdoor work.

Finish, and how each one ages

Matt (suede). The most forgiving surface there is. Hides fingerprints, hides light scratching, and does not throw glare across a kitchen. The default for shutters for good reason.
High gloss. Reflective, deep, and unforgiving — it shows every fingerprint and every wipe mark, and fine scratches catch the light permanently. Beautiful on a low-traffic feature; punishing on a family kitchen.
Textured and synchronised. The texture follows the printed grain, so a woodgrain feels like wood under the hand. The closest a laminate gets to veneer, and the most convincing of the wood looks.
Anti-fingerprint matt. A recent surface class worth the premium on dark colours, where ordinary matt still shows marks.

Dark colours cost more to live with

A dark gloss shutter shows dust, water spots and fingerprints that the same design in matt would hide. The colour is a decision about cleaning as much as about the room, and it is worth handling a sample with your own hands before committing a whole kitchen to it.

What to check on the sample

Look at it vertically, in the room's own light. A sheet flat on a table under a showroom light tells you very little.
Press a thumb on it and look at what stays behind.
Check the edge banding match — an unmatched edge is what makes good laminate work look cheap.
Check the sheets are from one batch. As with tile, print runs vary, and two shutters side by side is where you will see it.

Thickness

0.8 mm — the standard for shutter interiors, wardrobe backs, cabinet sides and any surface that is seen but not handled. Cheaper, and lighter on a large run of carcass work.

1 mm — the working thickness. Kitchen shutters, wardrobe fronts, tabletops, anything with a handle on it or a bag put down on it.

1.25 mm and above — counters, reception desks, shop fittings, and horizontal surfaces that take a beating.

Finish, and how each one ages

Matt (suede). The most forgiving surface there is. Hides fingerprints, hides light scratching, and does not throw glare across a kitchen. The default for shutters for good reason.

High gloss. Reflective, deep, and unforgiving — it shows every fingerprint and every wipe mark, and fine scratches catch the light permanently. Beautiful on a low-traffic feature; punishing on a family kitchen.

Textured and synchronised. The texture follows the printed grain, so a woodgrain feels like wood under the hand. The closest a laminate gets to veneer, and the most convincing of the wood looks.

Anti-fingerprint matt. A recent surface class worth the premium on dark colours, where ordinary matt still shows marks.

What to check on the sample

Look at it vertically, in the room's own light. A sheet flat on a table under a showroom light tells you very little.

Press a thumb on it and look at what stays behind.

Check the edge banding match — an unmatched edge is what makes good laminate work look cheap.

Check the sheets are from one batch. As with tile, print runs vary, and two shutters side by side is where you will see it.