Polishing Cloth Selection Guide
Guide to selecting the right polishing cloth class for each polishing stage, based on pad hardness, nap, and the flatness-vs-relief trade-off.
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Coarse / Intermediate Polishing Pads
Metal mesh
Metal mesh pad for semi-fixed abrasive coarse to intermediate lapping. Excellent for initial removal of damage from sectioning and hard materials.
Recommended: 9-15 μm diamond
Hard woven (silk, woven nylon)
Hard woven cloth for rough polishing. Maximum flatness and edge retention; the standard pad class for the 9 μm diamond step on metals and alloys.
Recommended: 6-15 μm diamond
Woven polyester
Durable synthetic polyester pad ideal for intermediate polishing, especially with 6–15 μm diamond abrasives. A long-life alternative to woven nylon.
Recommended: 6-15 μm diamond
Non-woven textile
Widely used non-woven intermediate polishing pad, compatible with most diamond suspensions. Effective across a broad range of materials.
Recommended: 3-15 μm diamond
Porometric polymer
Porometric polymer pad with rubber-like consistency, offering balanced action between low and high nap pads. Ideal for moderate nap intermediate polishing.
Recommended: 3-9 μm diamond
Medium-nap synthetic suede
Medium napped synthetic suede cloth, the standard pad class for the 3 μm diamond step. Balances scratch removal against relief.
Recommended: 1-6 μm diamond
Firm low-nap
Low-napped pad ideal for 1–9 μm polishing. Designed for consistent material removal and flatness control during final pre-polishing.
Recommended: 1-9 μm diamond
Final Polishing Pads
Foam-backed low-nap woven
Woven low-nap final polishing pad with foam backing for enhanced compliance. Ideal for 1–6 μm diamond. Great for critical surface flatness needs.
Recommended: 1-6 μm diamond
Soft napped (chemotextile)
Soft napped chemotextile cloth, the standard pad class for the 1 μm diamond step and for producing a mirror finish on metals and polymers.
Recommended: 1 μm diamond, final alumina
High-nap synthetic
High-napped final polishing pad ideal for producing a mirror finish on metals and polymers. Recommended for <1 μm diamond or colloidal silica.
Recommended: <1 μm diamond, colloidal silica
Very high-nap flocked
Very high-napped final polishing pad tailored for soft metals and polymers. Provides gentle polishing action to minimize pull-out and relief.
Recommended: <1 μm diamond, soft materials
Porous polyurethane
Porous polyurethane pad for chemo-mechanical final polishing with colloidal silica. A standard choice for deformation-free finishes and EBSD preparation.
Recommended: Colloidal silica
Wool cloth
Wool-based final polishing cloth used when edge retention is not critical. Works well with alumina and colloidal silica on metals.
Recommended: Colloidal silica, alumina
Felt
Thick final polishing pad made for large samples or glass. Ideal for use with colloidal silica or alumina slurries where surface uniformity is key.
Recommended: Colloidal silica, alumina
Selection Guidelines
- Hard materials: Use harder pads (metal mesh, hard woven, non-woven textile) for initial steps
- Soft materials: Use softer napped pads to reduce scratching, accepting some relief
- Multi-phase materials: Use harder, lower-nap pads to keep phases co-planar and minimize relief
- Final polishing: Use soft napped or high-nap pads for mirror finish; porous polyurethane or chemotextile with colloidal silica
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