Inside the Material Library: Exploring PS & Acrylic

Beyond the swatch

At STUDIO 9, our Material Library is more than an archive of swatches. It is a working tool: a place to compare, combine, and understand how materials behave before they become finished products.

The library evolves across plastic, wood, metal, concrete, stone, paper, and textile. Each material is presented in different colours, treatments, and effects, making it possible to explore how even subtle variations can transform its appearance and character.

Transparency can create visual lightness.
Colour can add depth and weight.
Texture can soften a surface or create contrast.

These qualities affect not only how a material looks, but also how it feels and performs.

Our latest additions expand the plastic category with new polystyrene (PS) and acrylic swatches. Each is presented in five colour examples and up to six treatments. Let’s take a closer look.

Inside the Material Library: Exploring PS & Acrylic

Similar at first glance

PS and acrylic can appear similar, but their strengths are different. The right option depends on the product and what it needs to achieve.

PS is versatile, durable, cost-effective, and easy to customise, making it suitable for a wide range of retail products and displays.

Acrylic provides excellent clarity and a refined, glass-like appearance. It works particularly well when transparency and visual quality are central to the design.

So, which one should you choose?

The answer becomes clearer when the material is considered in the context of a real product.

Inside the Material Library: Exploring PS & Acrylic

Material choices are contextual

There is no single material that is best for every application. The right solution depends on the product’s function, visual expression, manufacturing method, and performance requirements.

A practical example off the rack 

A hanger must be strong, balanced, and comfortable to handle. Its material also needs to support the intended shape, colour, finish, and production method. That makes the hanger a simple but useful example of how material selection works in practice.

Why PS works here

For this STUDIO 9 hanger, solid-coloured PS provides the right combination of form, colour, and production efficiency. It supports clean edges and controlled curves while being suitable for consistent manufacturing.

The Chestnut colour runs through the material - including its edges and cross-section. Unlike a surface coating, this gives the hanger a consistent appearance from every angle and makes it feel like one complete form.

Depth through a foam effect

The foam effect creates subtle variations in tone and texture. It softens the plastic appearance and gives the hanger greater visual depth and the surface a softer, more tactile character.

Why not acrylic?

Acrylic is a strong choice when clarity and a polished, glass-like look are important, such as in lighting, displays, and transparent furniture details. For this hanger, however, acrylic is less durable than PS and not as well suited to frequent handling. Its transparency is also unnecessary here, as the design calls for solid colour, warmth, and a soft, diffused surface.

The conclusion: 

This example shows why material selection must always begin with the product - and what the material needs to do.

Inside the Material Library: Exploring PS & Acrylic
Inside the Material Library: Exploring PS & Acrylic
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How one material changes character

Now, let’s look beyond a single product and explore how far one material can be taken.

The six PS swatches above range from fully transparent to variations coloured in Cool Grey 4. By changing the transparency, texture, and treatment, the same base material takes on six distinct expressions.

 

100% Transparent - Sand Effect

In its transparent form, PS allows light to pass directly through the material. The sand effect interrupts that clarity with a fine, granular texture. This creates an interesting tension: the material remains transparent, but its surface becomes more tactile and visually active.

100% Transparent - Foam Effect

The foam effect spreads the light and creates a softer, cloudy look. Depending on the thickness and lighting, the material can appear airy, frosted or almost like ice.

50% Transparent - Cool Grey 4

The grey colour gives the PS a soft, smoky appearance while keeping it partly transparent. Shapes and shadows remain visible through the material, placing it between fully transparent and solid.

50% Transparent - Cool Grey 4 with Foam Effect

Combining semi-transparency with the foam effect creates a more layered surface. The grey tint provides visual structure, while the foam effect diffuses light and partially obscures what sits behind the material.

Solid Infused - Cool Grey 4, Sanded

The colour runs throughout the material, keeping the surface and edges consistent. The sanded finish reduces shine and creates a calm, matte and slightly stone-like appearance.

Solid Infused - Cool Grey 4 with Foam Effect

The foam effect creates small differences in colour, texture and density throughout the solid material. This adds depth and gives the surface a softer, more natural appearance.

Click to unfold and read more.

 

From surface to substance

Choosing a material means bringing appearance, performance, production, and responsibility together. A swatch helps make the possibilities tangible, but the final selection must work as part of the finished product.

We guide our customers on production, material use, and sustainability considerations. By making the benefits and trade-offs clear, we help identify the solution that best supports the product’s purpose, expression, and wider ambitions.

Developing a new product? Let’s shape it together 
- from the first swatch to the finished object.

 

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