Materialtreue

Materialtreue is a term used in design, manufacturing, and media theory to describe the degree to which a representation, model, or artifact faithfully reproduces the material properties of a reference material or intended material. The word is a compound of Material and Treue (fidelity) in German and is not universally standardized, but it appears in discussions about material realism, authenticity, and the perceptual quality of surfaces.

In practice, Materialtreue concerns how closely a product, prototype, or digital render resembles the target material in aspects such as color, surface texture, gloss, translucency, and overall tactile impression. It is relevant across disciplines including industrial design, computer rendering, 3D printing, and architectural visualization. For example, a metal surface in a digital shader or a physical mock-up may be evaluated for Materialtreue by comparing its visual and tactile cues to those of real metal, wood, fabric, or stone.

Methods of assessment combine perceptual and instrumental approaches. Perceptual methods rely on observer judgments in surveys or panels, while instrumental methods measure colorimetry, gloss units, surface roughness, and other surface characteristics. In practice, achieving high Materialtreue often involves materials science input, finishing techniques, and careful material selection, balancing fidelity with cost, manufacturability, and structural requirements.

Relation to related concepts includes material authenticity, materiality, verisimilitude, and texture mapping in digital graphics. Materialtreue is used to discuss how convincingly a representation conveys the intended material properties and the experience of interacting with the material.