Design Elements of HPL - Part 2

One of the other big advances in plastic laminate is the variety of finishes that have become more readily available in recent years.

High pressure plastic laminate sheets are created by pressing several layers of paper that have been impregnated with phenolic and melamine resins in a heated press with tons of pressure until they have been permanently fused together. During this process a steel press plate with a texture etched on its face(or in the case of high gloss laminate a very smooth mirror finish)is pressed against the face of the laminate sheet. The texture on the press plate is then permanently embossed into the face of the finished laminate sheet.

Although the standard matte finish is still the most popular, and works well in most applications, by using enhanced finishes a designer can create a different or higher end "feel" of a space without costing significantly more money. This is especially true of wood grain laminates used in a vertical application, such as cabinet fronts or furniture items like the attached photo. Some of these finishes actually look and feel more like a finished wood panel than plastic laminate.

Notice that the door shown to the far left of the frame is actually stained and finished wood veneer, but in appearance is nearly indistinguishable from the laminate used on the face of the reception desk and cabinets.

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