Prints: what’s the diff, man? What’re we going with?
So we had an amazing photo session and now you’re trying to decide what kinda prints you want. Prints for your wall, portfolio, picture frame, photo album, to share with friends, family, tease your lover(s), etc.
K, there’s mainly four choices: glossy, matte, lustre, or metallic finishes.
Here’s how each breaks down:
Glossy
Probably the most popular style there is. The name says it all: it’s shiny and has a glossy surface.
The cool parts about glossy: the colors are really vibrant and well saturated.
The down sides to glossy: the larger the print size, the more likely you are to see glare from the glossiness. It’s also easy to notice fingerprints on them.
I recommend a glossy finish for smaller, color prints sized: 4″ x 6″ and 5″ x 7″. At this size they’re perfect for albums and smaller picture frames.
Matte
Probably the second most popular finish there is.
The cool parts about matte: matte prints are known for being fingerprint resistant and are perfect for presenting softer colors (including black & white). A matte finish is great for avoiding glare when you hang larger prints (sized 8″ x 10″ and larger) on a wall.
The down side to matte: a matte finish does not have the vibrant color saturation of glossy prints.
note: If you’re sticking mostly with smaller prints the matte vs. glossy decision is mostly a matter of preference.
Lustre
Lustre is the best of both worlds. It combines the vibrant color saturation of a glossy print with the fingerprint and glare resistance of a matte print.
It’s hard to go wrong with lustre at any size. This is the best finish for 16″ x 20″ prints.
Metallic
Metallic prints have a glossy finish and are great for vibrant, colorful, crisp images. The sharpness of a metallic finish presents details really well and brings out the visual depth of an image. These are ideal for vibrant, high-contrast images.
