Materials and finish
This is proposed physical-product guidance, not approved Thorbis rules. src/data/product-guidelines.ts is the canonical owner of wording, reasons, status, and sources; product-guidelines-why.ts is a derived compatibility export. This Markdown is generated, not independently maintained.
Name a material only when you can measure it. The large surfaces stay matte and dark. The surface a hand rests on is specified on purpose.
Name only what you can measure.
pd-name
Status: proposed.
A material or mechanism gets a proper name only with one measurable claim. NEO is 12x more durable than regular PU leather. SoftWeave Plus is 3.5x stronger than its predecessor. Ordinary screws, foam blocks, and cables stay unnamed.
Why: A coined name with no number is a slogan; a name plus one measurement is a spec.
Sources: Secretlab TITAN Evo features (opens in a new tab), Secretlab SoftWeave Plus (opens in a new tab)
One claim, its measurement, and its source.
pd-proof
Status: proposed.
Every product claim has evidence for that specific property on a page a buyer can open, with the measurement, method, conditions, and comparison baseline where applicable. Name the model, generation, operating mode, region, exclusions, and required accessories beside the claim where applicable; a broader headline cannot drop those limits. Recycled-content percentage supports recycled content; it does not establish strength, durability, or a material grade.
Why: A true number about a different property, such as recycled content offered as proof of strength, still tells the buyer a false story.
Sources: Apple Environment (opens in a new tab), Apple Newsroom, recycled content and fiber packaging (opens in a new tab), Apple Newsroom, MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max (opens in a new tab), Apple Environmental Progress Report 2026 (opens in a new tab), Dyson V11 Extra, specifications and conditions (study receipt, 9 October 2026) (opens in a new tab), Dyson V15 Detect professional edition, technical specification, 15 June 2023 (opens in a new tab), Nothing Phone (3) sustainability report, packaging and repair claims (opens in a new tab)
One sheen on the body.
pd-finish-one-sheen
Status: proposed.
Large surfaces are matte. A tighter sheen is allowed on a small control, an edge, or a glass panel, and nowhere else. Gloss next to matte on the same face reads as a scuff.
Why: A glossier patch on a matte body looks like wear; the buyer will think the finish failed.
Sources: iFixit, dark aluminum anodizing (opens in a new tab), MacRumors, dark MacBook Pro finish (opens in a new tab), Secretlab TITAN Evo features (opens in a new tab)
Specify the surface under the hand.
pd-material-touch
Status: proposed.
Say what the palm, wrist, or forearm touches, and why: cold-cure foam for pressure, a knit for heat, a mat so steel is not the work surface. The spec table names that material.
Why: Hands and forearms rest on that surface the whole time the product is in use, so it decides how the product feels more than any part the person never touches.
Sources: Secretlab TITAN Evo features (opens in a new tab), Secretlab SoftWeave Plus (opens in a new tab), PCMag, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab)
Put the durable material where it wears.
pd-material-wear
Status: proposed.
Armrest tops, desk edges, feet, and handles take the abuse. Call out that material in the spec, and make the worn part replaceable. A soft show surface on a wear edge fails first.
Why: The first worn spot sets how old the whole product looks, so the toughest material belongs on the tops, edges, feet, and handles that take daily contact.
Sources: CloudSwap Technogel armrest manual (opens in a new tab), ZDNET, TITAN Evo review (opens in a new tab), Secretlab TITAN Evo features (opens in a new tab)
Name the metal, and update it when it changes.
pd-metal-plain
Status: proposed.
Microsoft's 18 June 2012 Surface release describes a magnesium casing molded as thin as 0.65 mm. The Surface Pro 7 fact sheet calls the body magnesium. The Surface Pro 11th Edition fact sheet calls the casing anodized aluminum, and its enclosure note says the bucket and the kickstand use 100 percent recycled aluminum alloy under UL 2809-2. Say the metal and the process. When the metal changes, change the spec. A coined process name does not stand in for the metal.
Why: Surface moved from magnesium to aluminum between generations, so a spec that names the metal once and never updates it turns false.
Sources: Microsoft, Surface announcement, 18 June 2012 (opens in a new tab), Surface Pro 7 fact sheet, October 2019 (opens in a new tab), Surface Pro 11th Edition fact sheet, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Name the fabric, and print how to clean it.
pd-fabric-care
Status: proposed.
The May 2017 Surface Pro note describes a keyboard wrapped in coated Alcantara that is durable and stain resistant. The Surface Pro 11th Edition Flex Keyboard fact sheet lists Alcantara as the exterior material, next to Slim Pen storage. The Signature Type Cover support page says to wipe the material with a slightly damp lint-free white cloth, to clean a spill within 30 minutes, and not to apply liquids directly to the Surface, and it says that cover does not fit Surface Pro X, Surface Pro 8, and later. Name the textile, the feel, and the care method for the cover that actually ships. A fabric brand is not a finish name for the metal body.
Why: The cover under the palms needs a material name and a cleaning method, or the first stain becomes the product.
Sources: Microsoft UK Stories, Surface Pro, May 2017 (opens in a new tab), Surface Pro 11th Edition fact sheet, 2024 (opens in a new tab), Microsoft Support, Surface Pro Signature Type Cover (opens in a new tab)