The chrome text effect, done properly
Chrome lettering is metalness 1 with near-zero roughness reflecting a strong environment. How to get mirror chrome, brushed steel and gunmetal reads from the same preset family.
What chrome actually is
There is no 'chrome' parameter in rendering. Chrome is metalness 1.0, roughness close to 0, and — critically — something interesting to reflect. A mirror in an empty room looks black; chrome text under a flat light looks grey. The environment map does most of the work.
Choosing the reflection
High-contrast environments make chrome read: City and Night give hard light stripes that scream automotive; Studio gives the even, believable product-photo version; Dawn adds warmth without color noise. The same Chrome Clean preset renders as three different finishes across those three environments.
Variations in the family
Chrome Forged adds subtle darkening in the crevices for an industrial read. Brushed Steel raises roughness slightly so reflections smear — the 'tool' register. Gunmetal lowers brightness for broadcast-safe dark metal. All three live in the metal family of the library and can be previewed live on any word.
Common mistakes
Bevel too small: chrome needs edge highlights to define letterforms, so keep bevel on. Background too busy: mirror finishes multiply visual noise. And exporting chrome without an environment map embedded in the GLB — the site bakes the environment into the export so the material survives the journey.