2B — the standard mill finish
A smooth, moderately reflective grey finish straight from the mill. It's the baseline most sheet ships in, and it's what gets further processed into other finishes. Fine for industrial and hidden applications; rarely the choice for a visible architectural surface.
No.4 — brushed / satin
The familiar directional brushed finish — this is what most people mean by "hairline" or "satin" in everyday conversation (see our finish guide). It's the practical default for railings, kitchen surfaces and anything handled regularly.
8K — mirror
A highly reflective, near-mirror polished finish. Visually dramatic and popular for lift cabins (see our elevator guide) and feature cladding — with the fingerprint and scratch-visibility tradeoffs that come with any mirror surface.
Why knowing the codes helps you
When a quotation or mill certificate (see our MTC guide) states a finish code rather than a descriptive word, you can verify you're getting what you actually asked for instead of relying on a vague "mirror-type" description.