Glossy and matte photos are the two most popular types of photo papers used for printing pictures. If you are looking to print your photos in these finishes, then you will be wondering which of these two is the best for your photographs.
The glossy photo paper comes with an additional layer of gloss that helps to create shine on the paper. The matte photo paper offers a neutral look to the photo.
We will see the major difference between glossy vs matte photos in this article. It will help you to decide on the right photo paper for you.
Matte vs Glossy Photos 
We will look at the differences between the glossy and matte photos based on the following factors.
1. Use with Overhead Lighting 
If you are planning to display your picture in a frame hanging on a wall and if you are planning to place a focus light on the image, then the matte photo print will suit you more than the glossy one.
The overhead lighting will result in unwanted glare on the picture when viewed from certain angles for glossy photos. So, the hanged image with glossy finish won’t look pleasant to the viewer from all angles.
2. Handling of Photos
If the photo that you are going to print gets handled a lot, if it is a glossy print, then you will be left with lots of fingerprints in the images. Thus, it will spoil the whole beauty of the picture.
If you are going to place the picture inside a covered frame or in a not so easily accessible area, then there won’t be any fingerprints falling on the photos. So, you can go for glossy photo paper without any fingerprint issues.
3. Photo Vibrancy 
If the picture has lots of vibrant colors, then you will definitely want to bring the same vibrance in the photo print also. Glossy photo prints are known for their color vibrance.
You can make the image more vibrant with the help of a glossy print. However, you will not get the same level of vibrance with a matte finish print.
4. For Photo Print Sales 
If you are a photographer who is going to start selling your photo prints, then I would recommend you to go for high-quality matte photo prints. It will help to ensure professional quality prints for your customers.
When you are into the buisness of selling photo prints then you can’t compromise on the quality.
5. Cost Factor 
The cost of the print is another major factor that you must consider. It comes into the picture, especially when you are dealing with a large number of prints. Almost all photo printing services, both offline and online, sell matte and glossy prints for the same cost.
So, you can choose either of them since there is no variation in the price. If you are going for high-end matte paper, then it will be costlier than glossy photo paper.
6. Life of the Print 
When you are printing photos, you definitely want them to last longer. However, when it comes to glossy vs matte, the life of the photo print is almost the same.
The photo print life is actually defined by the quality of the photo paper. You can get both matte as well as glossy photo paper of different qualities. If you want the print to last really long, you can go for high-quality photo paper.
7. Scratch Resistance
The shiny texture of the glossy photo print makes it prone to scratches. The matte finish helps to make the print more resistant to scratches.
When it comes to the scratch resistance factor, it is a big win for the matte prints.
8. Black and White Pictures
If you are going to print a black and white picture, then I recommend going for the matte finish. These monochrome images give a better look and feel in a matte format than a glossy format.
In addition, the matte texture helps to bring more depth to a black and white image.
9. For Posters 
If you are planning to print a big poster with your photos, then it is better to go for glossy. The shiny appearance of the glossy print will help to attract more people.
In addition, it helps to improve the vibrance of the poster, thereby making it visually more appealing.
10. For Photo Exhibitions 
If you want to showcase your photos in an exhibition, matte prints will be better than glossy ones. It is because the matte finish will give a more professional touch to the pictures.
It also helps to avoid the unwanted glare on the photos that occurs in the case of glossy photographs.
11. For Framing Photos with Glass 
Many of you would be printing photos for framing and hanging on the wall. In most of these frames, we will be using glass in the frame to protect the photo print from dirt and dust.
When you use a glossy photo print inside a glass frame, then the glare will be more. It is because there will be glare due to the glossy finish at some angles as well as due to the presence of glass in front. Hence the effect would be double.
So, matte photo prints are better than their glossy counterparts if you are going to use glass in front of the frame.
Conclusion
Now, you can easily figure out whether the glossy or the matte photo is right for you. However, if you still have some doubts in mind, then I strongly recommend you to take a small size print of the picture in both matte and glossy photo paper and see the results.
