Achieving Seamless TFL Designs with Complementary Products

January 23, 2025

In modern design, the secret to creating beautiful, cohesive interiors lies in the details.

From cabinetry to furniture, ensuring that colors, textures, and finishes match perfectly is crucial for achieving a polished and professional look. That’s where complementary products like Finish Foils, 3DL, and 100% match programs like STEVENSWOOD®’s TruMatch come in.

These products work together to provide designers, fabricators, and builders with a seamless solution for crafting stylish, functional interiors.

The Role of Complementary Products in Design

Complementary products make it easier to coordinate every aspect of a project when using Thermally Fused Laminate (TFL) panels. Whether it’s matching edges, surfaces, or doors, these solutions ensure that every detail aligns perfectly. Let’s explore the key players:

1. Finish Foils

Finish foils are a versatile and stylish material widely used in interior design and furniture making. These decorative paper layers not only protect surfaces but also enhance their aesthetic appeal by adding color, texture, and depth. Here’s a closer look at how finish foils are made, their uses, and the benefits they bring to your projects.

What They Are: Finish foils are thin, decorative layers made from paper, resins, and lacquers. They are designed to coat and protect surfaces, providing a beautiful finish while offering practical durability.

What are Finish Foils Used For? Finish foils are incredibly versatile and can be applied to a variety of surfaces:

Baseboards and Moldings: Improve the durability and appearance of architectural elements.
Furniture: Enhance cabinets, tables, and shelving with decorative and protective layers.
Wall Panels: Add color and texture to interior walls for a polished look.
Doors: Create seamless and stylish finishes for interior and cabinet doors.

How Are Finish Foils Made?

The process of creating finish foils involves multiple steps to ensure their quality and functionality:

Base Paper Creation: The foundation of finish foils starts with specially designed base paper that is lightweight yet strong.
Printing with Light-Resistant Inks: The paper is printed with designs using high-quality, light-resistant inks, ensuring long-lasting colors and patterns.
Resin Impregnation: In some cases, thermosetting resins are added to the paper to increase durability and resistance.
Lacquer Coating: Finally, the foil is coated with a protective lacquer, enhancing its resistance to scratches, moisture, and wear.

Want to know where to source matching Finish Foil to STEVENSWOOD® colors?
Discover our Finish Foil Partners

2. 3DL (3-Dimensional Laminate)

3DL (Three-Dimensional Laminate) is a versatile material widely used in interior design and furniture making for its ability to create seamless, durable finishes on contoured and flat surfaces. Offering both aesthetic and practical benefits, 3DL is an ideal solution for achieving modern, high-quality designs. Here’s a detailed look at what 3DL is, how it’s made, its uses, and its benefits.

What It Is: 3DL, or Three-Dimensional Laminate, is a flexible, durable laminate material used to wrap surfaces without visible seams or edges. Its unique ability to conform to curves, edges, and complex shapes makes it a popular choice for a variety of interior applications.

3DL kitchen door and drawer fronts in blue with gold handles

What Is 3DL Used For?: 3DL is incredibly versatile, making it a popular choice for both residential and commercial projects. Common applications include:

Cabinet Doors: Ideal for both slab and shaker-style doors, offering a seamless and modern finish.
Furniture: Used on tabletops, dressers, and shelving for a cohesive look and added durability.
Wall Panels: Adds texture and style to interior spaces without visible seams.
Interior Doors: Enhances the appearance of doors while improving scratch and moisture resistance.
Commercial Interiors: Perfect for retail displays, office furniture, and healthcare facilities due to its hygienic and easy-to-clean properties.

How Is 3DL Applied?

Applying 3DL involves a specialized process to ensure a perfect, long-lasting finish:

Trimming and Finishing: Excess laminate is trimmed, leaving a flawless and seamless appearance.
Substrate Preparation: The surface is cleaned and prepped to ensure a smooth application.
Vacuum Pressing: The 3DL material is placed over the substrate, and a vacuum press applies heat and pressure to wrap the laminate tightly around the surface.

Want to know where to source matching 3DL to STEVENSWOOD® colors?
Discover our 3DL Partners

3. TruMatch: The Ultimate Matching Solution

TruMatch is a proprietary program by STEVENSWOOD® that ensures exact color and texture alignment across various complementary products. By using the same design paper treated to maintain consistency, TruMatch guarantees a perfect match for surfaces, doors, and edges, no matter the application.

What It Is: STEVENSWOOD®’s TruMatch program ensures a flawless color match to all of our colors.

Benefits of TruMatch:

100% Consistency: With TruMatch, you’ll never worry about mismatched finishes as it used STEVENSWOOD® decorative paper.
Seamless Design: From flat surfaces to curved edges, TruMatch ensures that all elements blend together for a professional and polished look.
Time-Saving Solution: No more searching for complementary finishes or dealing with mismatched materials. TruMatch simplifies the design process, saving you time and effort.
Versatility: TruMatch supports a wide range of applications, from residential kitchens to high-traffic commercial spaces.
Durability: Products treated through TruMatch retain the same scratch-resistant and long-lasting properties as STEVENSWOOD® TFL panels.

Want to know where to source STEVENSWOOD® TruMatch?
Discover our TruMatch Partners