Guides
Surface finishing guides
Browse by process
Start hereWhat is anodizing? A plain-English guide
How anodizing works, why it looks and wears the way it does, the difference between Type II and hard anodizing, and how to order anodized parts in Shenzhen. Written for first-timers.
→
01Choosing · 8 minAnodizing vs powder coating vs painting
Three common ways to finish a part, compared in plain words. What each one is, which materials it works on, how it looks and wears, and how to choose for your product.
02Design · 8 minHow to specify colour and finish
How to tell a factory exactly what colour, gloss and texture you want, using colour codes, physical samples, texture standards and a simple written spec. For first-time hardware teams.
03Basics · 11 minWhat is CNC machining? A plain-English guide
How CNC machining works, what it's good (and not good) for, what it costs, and how to get CNC parts made in Shenzhen. Written for first-timers.
04Basics · 10 minWhat is die casting? A plain-English guide
How die casting works, which metals it uses, what it's good and bad at, what drives the cost, and how to get die-cast parts made in Shenzhen and Dongguan. Written for first-timers.
05Basics · 10 minWhat is sheet metal fabrication? A plain-English guide
How flat metal sheets are cut, bent and joined into brackets, chassis and enclosures, which materials to use, what it costs, and how to get sheet metal parts made in Shenzhen. Written for first-timers.
06Cost · 9 minHow much does CNC machining cost? (and how to lower your quote)
What actually drives the price of a CNC part, rough price ranges for first-timers, and simple design and ordering changes that make quotes cheaper.
07Design · 8 minChoosing a material for CNC parts
A beginner's guide to the most common CNC materials (aluminum, steel, brass and engineering plastics), what each is good for, and how they affect price.
08Design · 9 minDesigning a sheet-metal enclosure
Practical design rules for a first sheet-metal enclosure, explained in plain words. Bends, flanges, holes, hardware, vents, grounding and finishing, so your first quote comes back without surprises.
09Design · 8 minSpot UV, soft-touch and lamination: packaging coatings explained
A plain-English guide to box coatings and laminations. Gloss, matte and soft-touch film, spot UV, UV coating, aqueous coating and varnish, what each does, how they combine, and the Chinese terms factories use.
10Choosing · 7 minZinc vs aluminum die casting
Should your die-cast part be zinc or aluminum? Weight, detail, finish, tooling life and cost compared in plain words, with a simple way to decide.
Surface finishing guides →Surface finishing: process hub and shops →