Matte or Glossy? Digital Photo Printing Guide
Posted on 13. Aug, 2008 by dan feildman in Photography
As you print your digital photos you have a choice of a matte or glossy finish. Glossy photo prints are named so due to their shiny finish while matte prints are more subtle and neutral. But how do you know which option is right for both you and the image you want to print? Basically the choice is up to you. There are advantages and disadvantages to bothlet's take a look.
Matte and glossy are two different finishes to the photo paper digital photos are printed on. Using different chemicals and processes photo paper can have a glossy or a matte finish. Glossy finish looks shiny, reflects light very well and looks vibrant and color rich. Matte finish on the other hand does not reflect much light and looks "darker" and duller.
Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons that come with both glossy and matte digital photo finishes.
Glossy photo prints: Glossy photo prints are shiny and are more appealing to the eye. They look fancy and convey a high quality feeling. Glossy photo prints have vibrant colors. Colors also look rich and deep on glossy photo prints. On the downside glossy photo prints "shiny" attribute can be a problem when photos are viewed using intense light sources such as daylight sun or strong light bulbs. Light reflected from the photo print can blind the viewer making it hard to see the photo. Glossy paper is also more likely to attract dust and fingerprints and is thus more likely to get dirty over time. Black and white glossy photo prints do not look as good as matte ones.
Matte finish: Matte photo prints do not reflect light and are therefore easier to view in almost any light condition. Matte photo prints are also less likely to attract dust and fingerprints and are less likely to get dirty over time. Black and white matte photo prints look better than black and white glossy photo prints. Drawbacks of matte photo prints are that they do not have the fancy high quality look that glossy photo prints have. Colors in matte photo prints are less animated and less rich than on glossy photo prints.
How do you know which finish to choose? The answer depends on you and what your plans for your photos are. A general rule is that glossy is for color prints and matte is for black and white but there are exceptions. If you photos are going to be touched frequently, matte is the smartest choice unless you don't mind cleaning your glossy prints every so often. Matte is also a better choice in the event that you want to enlarge a photo for the wall for example as a glossy finish would act as a large glossy and shiny light reflector.
You hold the right of personal preference to the finish on your prints. Experience is the best teacher. Experiment with both finishes if you have not tried to before. Print a few photos in both matte and glossy in both color and black and white. See which ones are most appealing to you and use your experience and opinion to help you make your choices in the future.
