Brushed metal

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Brushed metal is metal that has been abraded ("brushed"), most often with a fine grit sandpaper. The brushing gives the metal a distinctive look, as it retains some but not all of its metallic lustre and is given a pattern of very fine lines. It can be compared to metal with several small scratches all running in the same direction. Commonly used metal for brushing include stainless steel and nickel.

The term is commonly used to describe a graphical user interface design used in Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system for Macintosh computers. It can be compared with the Aqua interface. Apple's Human Interface Guidelines state that the brushed metal interface should be used for programs that mimic the operation of, or interface with, common devices. The first of Apple's applications to sport this look was the QuickTime Player released as part of QuickTime 4.0 in 1999.

Older versions (before 5.0) of iTunes and the latest versions of Calculator both use brushed metal because they mimic real-world devices, while iSync features the theme because it interfaces with PDAs.

Brushed metal primarily differs from Aqua in its appearance, but there are a few functional differences. Brushed metal windows can be moved by clicking any part of the window; Aqua windows can only be moved by clicking within the title bar.

Brushed metal has been criticised by user interface purists, who point out that Apple frequently violates its own rules for the use of the brushed metal look.

The most notable of the supposed violations are Safari, Apple's web browser, and the Macintosh Finder itself. With the release of Mac OS X v10.3, Apple further expanded its list of acceptable uses for brushed metal to include windows that navigate lists of information. This absolves the Finder, but Safari's use of brushed metal remains a mystery. Opponents of the theory point out that even Apple's guidelines for the use of brushed metal are inconsistent, and that the motivation behind the alternative appearance's existence is unclear.

Continuing the growth of Apple-sponsored, non-Aqua themes, Apple also introduced a Pro theme that is used in its high-end video, music and image production and editing software. At the same time, with the release of Mac OS X v10.4 and judging from screenshots of the 10.5 beta, it appears brushed metal is being replaced with "Unified" toolbars and thinner borders.