Color effect
Metallic
A reflective surface effect associated with gold, silver, copper, value, luxury, and technology.
Ancient metalwork to modern finishes Specular reflection, metal leaf, powders, inks, surfaces seed
What it is
Metallic color is not just a hue. It comes from surface reflectance: highlights, reflections, flakes, foils, and changing light. A flat yellow is not the same experience as gold.
Basics
- Metallic appearance depends on specular reflection: bright directional highlights rather than only diffuse color.
- Gold, silver, bronze, and copper combine hue with reflective material behavior.
- Screens and ordinary CSS can only simulate metallic surfaces with gradients and lighting cues.