diff --git a/src/client/App.tsx b/src/client/App.tsx
index 562b0b3..1681c13 100644
--- a/src/client/App.tsx
+++ b/src/client/App.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import { Viewer } from "./components/Viewer";
 import { StageOverlay } from "./components/StageOverlay";
 import { DesignsDrawer } from "./components/DesignsDrawer";
 import { ColorPicker } from "./components/ColorPicker";
+import { FinishPicker } from "./components/FinishPicker";
+import type { Finish } from "./components/Viewer";
 import { runJscad, parseParams, type Param } from "./engine";
 
 interface Msg {
@@ -53,6 +55,14 @@ export default function App() {
       return "#FF2D55";
     }
   });
+  const [finish, setFinish] = useState<Finish>(() => {
+    try {
+      return (localStorage.getItem("chisel_finish") as Finish) || "plastic";
+    } catch {
+      return "plastic";
+    }
+  });
+  const [hideOverlays, setHideOverlays] = useState(false);
 
   const scrollRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const captureRef = useRef<(() => string | null) | null>(null);
@@ -311,6 +321,28 @@ export default function App() {
     }
   }, []);
 
+  const setModelFinish = useCallback((f: Finish) => {
+    setFinish(f);
+    try {
+      localStorage.setItem("chisel_finish", f);
+    } catch {
+      /* ignore */
+    }
+  }, []);
+
+  // Clean product-shot PNG: hide grid + gizmo, render, capture, restore.
+  const snapshot = useCallback(async () => {
+    setHideOverlays(true);
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 150)); // let React drop the overlays
+    const url = captureRef.current?.();
+    setHideOverlays(false);
+    if (!url) return;
+    const a = document.createElement("a");
+    a.href = url;
+    a.download = `${(title || "chisel-model").replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/gi, "-").toLowerCase()}.png`;
+    a.click();
+  }, [title]);
+
   const fitKey = String(designVersion);
 
   return (
@@ -410,15 +442,30 @@ export default function App() {
       </aside>
 
       <main className="stage">
-        <Viewer stl={stl} fitKey={fitKey} color={color} captureRef={captureRef} />
+        <Viewer
+          stl={stl}
+          fitKey={fitKey}
+          color={color}
+          finish={finish}
+          hideOverlays={hideOverlays}
+          captureRef={captureRef}
+        />
         <StageOverlay stage={stage} label={STAGE_LABEL[stage]} />
         {title && <div className="title-chip">{title}</div>}
-        {stl && !stage && <ColorPicker color={color} onChange={setModelColor} />}
+        {stl && !stage && (
+          <div className="appearance">
+            <ColorPicker color={color} onChange={setModelColor} />
+            <FinishPicker finish={finish} onChange={setModelFinish} />
+          </div>
+        )}
         {stl && !stage && (
           <div className="toolbar">
             <button onClick={() => setDesignVersion((v) => v + 1)} className="ghost" title="Fit to view">
               ⤢ Fit
             </button>
+            <button onClick={snapshot} className="ghost" title="Save a clean PNG render">
+              ▣ Snapshot
+            </button>
             <button onClick={download}>Download STL</button>
             <button onClick={downloadStep} disabled={steppy} title="True B-rep for Fusion/SolidWorks/FreeCAD">
               {steppy ? "Building STEP…" : "Download STEP"}
diff --git a/src/client/components/FinishPicker.tsx b/src/client/components/FinishPicker.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21d79e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/components/FinishPicker.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { FINISH_OPTIONS, type Finish } from "./Viewer";
+
+// Material-finish pills. Sits with the colour picker in the appearance cluster.
+export function FinishPicker({ finish, onChange }: { finish: Finish; onChange: (f: Finish) => void }) {
+  return (
+    <div className="finishpicker">
+      {FINISH_OPTIONS.map((o) => (
+        <button
+          key={o.key}
+          className={`finish ${o.key === finish ? "active" : ""}`}
+          onClick={() => onChange(o.key)}
+        >
+          {o.label}
+        </button>
+      ))}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/client/components/Viewer.tsx b/src/client/components/Viewer.tsx
index 1f2e901..d14db0f 100644
--- a/src/client/components/Viewer.tsx
+++ b/src/client/components/Viewer.tsx
@@ -1,29 +1,68 @@
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, type MutableRefObject } from "react";
 import { Canvas, useThree } from "@react-three/fiber";
-import { OrbitControls, GizmoHelper, GizmoViewport, Grid, Center, Bounds } from "@react-three/drei";
+import {
+  OrbitControls,
+  GizmoHelper,
+  GizmoViewport,
+  Grid,
+  Bounds,
+  Environment,
+  Lightformer,
+  ContactShadows,
+} from "@react-three/drei";
 import { STLLoader } from "three/examples/jsm/loaders/STLLoader.js";
 import type { BufferGeometry } from "three";
 
-function Model({ stl, color }: { stl: ArrayBuffer; color: string }) {
+// Material finishes — each maps to physical-material params. Keys are the source
+// of truth shared with the FinishPicker UI.
+export type Finish = "plastic" | "matte" | "glossy" | "metal" | "chrome";
+export const FINISHES: Record<Finish, { metalness: number; roughness: number; clearcoat: number; clearcoatRoughness: number }> = {
+  plastic: { metalness: 0.15, roughness: 0.55, clearcoat: 0, clearcoatRoughness: 0 },
+  matte: { metalness: 0.0, roughness: 0.95, clearcoat: 0, clearcoatRoughness: 0 },
+  glossy: { metalness: 0.1, roughness: 0.18, clearcoat: 1, clearcoatRoughness: 0.12 },
+  metal: { metalness: 1.0, roughness: 0.35, clearcoat: 0, clearcoatRoughness: 0 },
+  chrome: { metalness: 1.0, roughness: 0.05, clearcoat: 0, clearcoatRoughness: 0 },
+};
+export const FINISH_OPTIONS: { key: Finish; label: string }[] = [
+  { key: "plastic", label: "Plastic" },
+  { key: "matte", label: "Matte" },
+  { key: "glossy", label: "Glossy" },
+  { key: "metal", label: "Metal" },
+  { key: "chrome", label: "Chrome" },
+];
+
+function Model({ stl, color, finish }: { stl: ArrayBuffer; color: string; finish: Finish }) {
   const geometry = useMemo<BufferGeometry>(() => {
     const g = new STLLoader().parse(stl.slice(0));
     g.computeVertexNormals();
+    g.computeBoundingBox();
     return g;
   }, [stl]);
 
   useEffect(() => () => geometry.dispose(), [geometry]);
 
+  // Center on X/Z and rest the model ON the ground plane (y=0) so ContactShadows
+  // sit under it instead of through its middle.
+  const bb = geometry.boundingBox!;
+  const cx = (bb.min.x + bb.max.x) / 2;
+  const cz = (bb.min.z + bb.max.z) / 2;
+  const f = FINISHES[finish] ?? FINISHES.plastic;
+
   return (
-    <Center>
-      <mesh geometry={geometry} castShadow receiveShadow>
-        <meshStandardMaterial color={color} metalness={0.15} roughness={0.55} />
-      </mesh>
-    </Center>
+    <mesh geometry={geometry} position={[-cx, -bb.min.y, -cz]} castShadow receiveShadow>
+      <meshPhysicalMaterial
+        color={color}
+        metalness={f.metalness}
+        roughness={f.roughness}
+        clearcoat={f.clearcoat}
+        clearcoatRoughness={f.clearcoatRoughness}
+        envMapIntensity={1}
+      />
+    </mesh>
   );
 }
 
-// Exposes a screenshot function to the parent (used by the vision-verify loop).
-// Needs preserveDrawingBuffer on the GL context (set on <Canvas> below).
+// Exposes a screenshot function to the parent (vision-verify + snapshot).
 function CaptureBridge({ captureRef }: { captureRef: MutableRefObject<(() => string | null) | null> }) {
   const gl = useThree((s) => s.gl);
   const scene = useThree((s) => s.scene);
@@ -31,10 +70,7 @@ function CaptureBridge({ captureRef }: { captureRef: MutableRefObject<(() => str
   useEffect(() => {
     captureRef.current = () => {
       try {
-        // Force a synchronous render into the (preserved) drawing buffer right
-        // before reading it — otherwise toDataURL can grab a pre-render black
-        // frame on the first/heavy model and the verifier thinks it's empty.
-        gl.render(scene, camera);
+        gl.render(scene, camera); // force a fresh frame into the preserved buffer
         return gl.domElement.toDataURL("image/png");
       } catch {
         return null;
@@ -49,44 +85,61 @@ function CaptureBridge({ captureRef }: { captureRef: MutableRefObject<(() => str
 
 interface ViewerProps {
   stl: ArrayBuffer | null;
-  // Changes ONLY when a new design loads (or the user hits Fit). Param tweaks keep
-  // the same fitKey so the camera holds still and size changes stay visible.
   fitKey: string;
   color: string;
+  finish: Finish;
+  hideOverlays?: boolean; // hide grid + gizmo for clean snapshots
   captureRef: MutableRefObject<(() => string | null) | null>;
 }
 
-export function Viewer({ stl, fitKey, color, captureRef }: ViewerProps) {
+export function Viewer({ stl, fitKey, color, finish, hideOverlays, captureRef }: ViewerProps) {
   const controls = useRef(null);
   return (
     <Canvas
       shadows
       gl={{ preserveDrawingBuffer: true, antialias: true }}
       camera={{ position: [90, 70, 90], fov: 45, near: 0.1, far: 8000 }}
-      style={{ background: "#0B0B09" }}
     >
-      <ambientLight intensity={0.6} />
-      <directionalLight position={[50, 80, 40]} intensity={1.4} castShadow />
-      <directionalLight position={[-40, -20, -50]} intensity={0.4} />
-      <Grid
-        infiniteGrid
-        cellSize={5}
-        sectionSize={50}
-        fadeDistance={800}
-        cellColor="#2a2a26"
-        sectionColor="#3a2a2e"
-        position={[0, -0.01, 0]}
-      />
+      {/* Scene background so captures render on a solid colour, not transparent. */}
+      <color attach="background" args={["#0B0B09"]} />
+      <ambientLight intensity={0.35} />
+      <directionalLight position={[50, 80, 40]} intensity={1.1} castShadow shadow-mapSize={[1024, 1024]} />
+
+      {/* Self-contained studio environment (no external HDRI fetch) for reflections. */}
+      <Environment resolution={256} frames={1}>
+        <Lightformer form="rect" intensity={3} position={[0, 8, 1]} scale={[12, 8, 1]} rotation={[Math.PI / 2, 0, 0]} />
+        <Lightformer form="rect" intensity={1.6} position={[-7, 3, -5]} scale={[6, 6, 1]} />
+        <Lightformer form="rect" intensity={1.6} position={[7, 3, 5]} scale={[6, 6, 1]} color="#ffe9e0" />
+      </Environment>
+
+      {!hideOverlays && (
+        <Grid
+          infiniteGrid
+          cellSize={5}
+          sectionSize={50}
+          fadeDistance={800}
+          cellColor="#2a2a26"
+          sectionColor="#3a2a2e"
+          position={[0, 0, 0]}
+        />
+      )}
+
       {/* key={fitKey} → Bounds refits exactly once per new design, not per param. */}
       {stl && (
-        <Bounds key={fitKey} fit clip margin={1.35}>
-          <Model stl={stl} color={color} />
+        <Bounds key={fitKey} fit clip margin={1.3}>
+          <Model stl={stl} color={color} finish={finish} />
         </Bounds>
       )}
+      {stl && (
+        <ContactShadows position={[0, 0, 0]} opacity={0.5} scale={320} blur={2.4} far={140} color="#000000" />
+      )}
+
       <OrbitControls ref={controls} makeDefault enableDamping />
-      <GizmoHelper alignment="bottom-right" margin={[70, 70]}>
-        <GizmoViewport axisColors={["#FF2D55", "#3ddc84", "#4a9eff"]} labelColor="#eee" />
-      </GizmoHelper>
+      {!hideOverlays && (
+        <GizmoHelper alignment="bottom-right" margin={[70, 70]}>
+          <GizmoViewport axisColors={["#FF2D55", "#3ddc84", "#4a9eff"]} labelColor="#eee" />
+        </GizmoHelper>
+      )}
       <CaptureBridge captureRef={captureRef} />
     </Canvas>
   );
diff --git a/src/client/styles.css b/src/client/styles.css
index 2144be0..e246b12 100644
--- a/src/client/styles.css
+++ b/src/client/styles.css
@@ -82,8 +82,15 @@ body { background: var(--bg); color: var(--text); font-family: var(--mono); }
 
 .title-chip { position: absolute; top: 18px; left: 18px; font-family: var(--display); font-weight: 600; font-size: 14px; color: var(--text); background: rgba(11,11,9,.7); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 20px; padding: 6px 14px; backdrop-filter: blur(6px); max-width: 40%; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; }
 
+/* --- Appearance cluster (colour + finish) --- */
+.appearance { position: absolute; bottom: 18px; left: 18px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 8px; align-items: flex-start; }
+.finishpicker { display: flex; gap: 4px; background: rgba(11,11,9,.7); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 20px; padding: 4px; backdrop-filter: blur(8px); }
+.finish { font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 11px; padding: 5px 11px; border-radius: 16px; border: none; background: transparent; color: var(--muted); cursor: pointer; transition: color .12s, background .12s; }
+.finish:hover { color: var(--text); }
+.finish.active { background: var(--red); color: #fff; }
+
 /* --- Colour selector --- */
-.colorpicker { position: absolute; bottom: 18px; left: 18px; display: flex; gap: 6px; align-items: center; background: rgba(11,11,9,.7); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 24px; padding: 7px 10px; backdrop-filter: blur(8px); }
+.colorpicker { display: flex; gap: 6px; align-items: center; background: rgba(11,11,9,.7); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 24px; padding: 7px 10px; backdrop-filter: blur(8px); }
 .swatch { width: 20px; height: 20px; border-radius: 50%; border: 2px solid transparent; cursor: pointer; padding: 0; box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px rgba(255,255,255,.12); transition: transform .1s; }
 .swatch:hover { transform: scale(1.15); }
 .swatch.active { border-color: #fff; }