De-glossing the tiles?

[Zenithfleet]

I'm still on the fence about the high gloss effect on the new SH tiles. If I look at them from the wrong angle I can't see a thing...

Does anyone know if there's a way to remove it (i.e. make the tiles matte) without damaging them?

I've read somewhere that (when painting miniatures) you can cancel a gloss varnish coat by applying a matte coat over the top, though I've never tried it and it doesn't make much sense to me... and I know exactly nothing about what the gloss on the cardboard is, but I'm guessing it's not varnish. Laminated, possibly?

I still have the leftover card frames so I can try out any crazy ideas on them...

[Leeman Russ]

I think a Matt varnish over the top might work - try using some spray varnish on one of the card frames maybe? A lot of the gamers at my club use a coat of gloss varnish then overspray with matt varnish to get rid of the sheen, so it does work.

[N810]

Matte artist spray... ;)

[spaint2k]

The two things I'd be concerned about with matt spray are:
1. Frosting.
2. Having the spray soak into the edges, causing them to swell and not fit together properly.

Good luck!

[N810]

Both of those things come from over spraying...
a light dusting from a yard/meter away sould do the trick.

[KroSha]

Yes, cover, don't soak.

[Zenithfleet]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll give the matte varnish a try... carefully. :)

Actually, would a brush-on coat be safer than spray? (Easier to control?) Or would that be more likely to soak the tiles?

[AndrewGPaul]

A spray would be more even - a brush-on varnish is likely to leave brushstrokes.

[frankthedm]

Look for clear matt contact paper. Decade back I found it at OfficeMax here in IL, USA.

Another option is check fabric stores for some clear, but slightly frosted, vinyl, sold by the yard. Assemble the map and lay that down over it like a tablecloth.

[Mojaco]

Both of those things come from over spraying...
Yes... how I learned that the hard way...

Just use really short bursts and check if you've reached the desired result between each burst. Should be easy enough.

[T10]

If I look at them from the wrong angle I can't see a thing...

That's your problem and your solution right there! :)

-T10