Digital Photo Printing with a Matte or Glossy Finish | Photography

By DanFeildman
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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.

What chemicals are used when the digital photos are printed will determine what the resulting finish will look like. Again the difference is easy to tell. Glossy prints reflect light well, are shiny and are very animated in their color. Matte finish however does not reflect much light and colors tend to be more muted than lively.

There are pros and cons to choosing either matter or glossy digital photo prints. Here are some of them:

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 resulting in them being 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 soiled over time. Black and white matte photo prints look better than black and white glossy photo prints. On the downside matte photo prints do not have the fancy high quality look that glossy photo prints have. Colors in matte photo prints are less effervescent 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.

As with many other choices a matter or glossy choice is a matter of personal preference. To make an educated decision you should have experienced both. If you do not have that experience you can choose a few photos some color and some black and white and print them both on matte and on glossy paper and in different sizes. Look at the prints and see what you like and what you do not like about them. In the future you would be able make better choices by applying that experience.

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