Printing on matte or glossy Digital Photo Printing Paper

When printing digital photos you can choose between matte and glossy photo prints. Glossy photo prints have a glossy finish while matte ones have a more subtle neutral. So, which one to choose? There is no right answer - there are pros and cons to both.

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 matte finish. Glossy finish looks shiny, reflects light very well and looks vibrant and colorful. Matte finish on the other does not reflect much light and it seems "darker" and duller.

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

Photo Glossy Prints: glossy photo print are brilliant and are more appealing to the eye. Seem fantasy and transmit a feeling of high quality. Glossy photo prints have vibrant colors. Colors also look rich and deep on glossy photo prints. On the downside glossy photo print attribute "shiny" can be a problem when photos are viewed using intense light sources like the sun in daylight or strong light bulbs. The reflected light from the photo print can blind the viewer making it difficult to see the photos. The glossy paper is also more likely to attract dust and fingerprints and is therefore more likely to get dirty over time. Black and white glossy photo prints do not look as good as those opaque.

Matte finish: Matte photo prints do not reflect light and are therefore easier to see in any lighting 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. The downside matte photo prints do not look that fancy high-quality glossy photo prints. Opaque color photographic prints are less vibrant and less rich than glossy photo prints.

So which to choose - matte or glossy? It depends on your needs and what you plan to do with the photographic prints. As a general rule, use glossy photo prints for color prints and matte photo prints for black and white ones. If the prints are going to be touched by many people and used a lot matte is a better choice if you do not mind to spend time cleaning your glossy photo prints every time. Even if you plan to print large photos (for example, to hang on the wall or to frame and put on the desk) matte is a better choice since a large glossy print would act as a large reflector and clear gloss finish.

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