Photo Finishes: Glossy Versus Matte

When preserving those special moments and memories, people want the best finish for their photos. However, there are so many options from which to choose. While metallic, canvas, and luster are great choices, most people prefer matte or glossy finishes. And, each of these popular finishes offers advantages and disadvantages.

Glossy

When you look at a photo that is shiny with bright colors, you are looking at a glossy finish. With glossy finishes, images are sharp and show fine detail. And, if you have to copy or scan glossy finished photos they don't appear textured or grainy.

While glossy finishes are what people traditionally select, there are some down sides to picking this type of finish. Glossy finishes are prone to show fingerprints an smudges. Wiping or cleaning the photo could leave marks or scratches. And, colored or black and white photos with glossy finishes produce glare, which makes the photo hard to see clearly at certain angles or distances. And with glossy finishes, some form of cover, glass or plastic, is needed to protect the photo from damage.

Glossy finishes are best for those general needs. When you want photos to show sharp details and have bright colors, this is the option to choose. Use glossy finishes for photos for albums or those the will be displayed in areas with low light.

Matte

Matte finishes are distinguishable from glossy finishes. In the case of a matte finish, the photo is a highly textured print. It does not have glare and does not reflect light. Matte finishes are great for use with black and white photos or sepia colored photos. This finish is option seen as more professional. Because of their texture and lack of gloss, matte finishes don't show smudges or fingerprints. Thus, they can be handled with little protection.

Matte photos are also common for wallet prints and posters, but in using this finish option, photographer compromise several things, including color sharpness and details. Matte finishes tend to look more grainy and scanned or digitized copies of matte finished photos tend to look more textured.

Matte finishes are best used for those special photography needs. If you want to develop black and white or sepia toned photos, use matte. Color brightness will not be an issue with this finish. Also, use matte finishes if the photos will be handled a great deal, be hung is sunny or well lit areas, or if you are restoring old photographs.

The Best of Both Worlds

While there are advantages to matte and glossy finishes, the disadvantages prompted some to consider an option that merges the benefits of these popular types. This hybrid finish is called satin finish or semi-gloss.

Satin finishes is akin to glossy in that it offers rich colors and details. This semi-glossy finish also does not show smudges or fingerprints as well and does not reflect much light.

While there are several types of photo finish options, matte and glossy are the most common. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Photographers and other picture lovers should choose their photo finish based on their needs.