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Glossy Finish vs. Matte Finish
Ah, the age-old question whether to choose photo printing with a gloss finish or a matte finish. Personally, I am ridiculously indecisive and often spend a great deal of time deciphering between finishes. In fact, I am in the middle of an online custom printing order as we speak. I have stepped away to map out the options, and hopefully by the end of this blog entry, both you and I will come to some kind of conclusion on our individual custom online printing projects.
Glossy Pros
- Photo printing will have a shiny finish. This can be attractive to the eye.
- Colors are vibrant. Since glossy makes print shine, your colors will shine as well.
- As long as the original photo is in focus and not blurry, images with glossy print will typically appear crisp and sharp.
- Glossy finish refrains from creating a textured look when scanning and converting to digital c printing.
Glossy Cons
- Very likely to attract fingerprints and smudges.
- In order to remove fingerprints and smudges, you need to use a photo cloth and/or a liquid solution and be extremely gentle. Rubbing or scrubbing photo printing, no matter how delicate the cloth, can produce scratches.
- Glossy photos produce a glare, making them difficult to see from certain angles and uncomfortable to the eye.
- If the original is of poor quality, producing work with a glossy finish might accentuate the flaws.
Matte Pros
- Matte custom online printing services will conceal visibility of fingerprints and smudges.
- The majority of professional giclee printing is printed on matte-finish paper. This means that matte giclee printing will have a more professional look. This is especially true with black and white photo printing.
- Glare is significantly reduced with matte-finish prints.
Matte Cons
- Matte finish textures often make photos look grainy.
- Since matte finish is dull as opposed to lustrous, matte photo printing colors are less vibrant.
- When the photograph is scanned or converted to digital, matte-finish prints may produce a distracting pattern or texture.
So, overall it seems that photo printing finish should depend on the project you are handling. Glossy finish accommodates a more artistic display. If you are using very detailed and clean original photos, they will translate well to glossy. Also, if you are using plexiglass mounting, or another type of protective display case, susceptibility to smudging will be kept at bay.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a much more buttoned-up professional appeal, then matte-finish is the way to go. Matte-finish can be used effectively for promotional printing and corporate identity printing.
I hope this has helped you plan out your project and successfully complete your online custom printing order. As for my own custom online printing purchase – I am on my way to checkout right now.
Filed under: Uncategorized, Products, Education, Digital C Print on December 31st, 2007