Today I’m going to talk to you about one of the most popular topics today: the different types of photographic prints on glossy and matte paper.

I already told you about how to get photo prints on canvas, but today I return to the subject. With the development of digital, we are fortunate to be able to take more photos than in the past: smartphones, reflex cameras, mirrorless are just some of the tools that allow us to capture a particular moment dear to us.

At this point the question arises: “This photo is really too good to leave it on my mobile phone or on my hard drive. I would like to print it, but which is better glossy or matte photo paper? “

| Read also: how to make a photo book online at home

Glossy vs matte paper: which photo paper is best?

“How do I print good quality photos?” Among other things, many companies that deal with photographic prints often offer very valid offers that allow us to create photo books, gadgets and photographic prints of excellent quality to make us relive a moment that has transmitted us a particular emotion: that it is the day of yours. birthday, your graduation or the portrait of a loved one, I bring you some small suggestions in order to clarify some doubts about the different types of prints.

Is it better to print the photos on glossy or matte paper? Do I have my graduation book printed on glossy or matte paper? I need to make a poster, is it okay in glossy paper?

These are just some of the questions we all ask ourselves when we decide to have our photos printed. I want to clarify that my suggestions come from a simple subjective personal taste and experience, there is no single basic rule that allows you to define which type of paper is more suitable for one photo than another, but only small ones tricks that could help you enhance your shots, of whatever nature they are. Let’s start with the suggestions right away. So…glossy vs matte paper: which photo paper is best?

Glossy paper

Prints made on glossy paper are more suitable for travel, family (etc) photos.

In fact, glossy paper gives your photo a particular brilliance and saturation, thus accentuating its colors, so if you intend to highlight some particular detail of your shot, printing on glossy paper is suitable for you.

But be careful, glossy paper prints are truly exceptional but are by nature more predisposed to attract a greater amount of light and reflections to themselves, so I recommend not choosing this type of print if you intend to put your photo in a frame or in an exact point of your home where natural light, sunlight or neon can illuminate it fully.

I’ll give you an example to make you understand this last point: imagine you are on a stage in any theater and have a large and powerful lighthouse exactly above your head that illuminates you.

Result: you have all the light on you.

Same thing happens for photos: direct light and reflections on glossy paper prints (as well as the glass of the frame) in the long run can cause the photo to wear out a little faster and, in the long run, turn off a little bit of that beautiful shine that glossy paper gives to your photos.

This does not mean that digital, over the years, has made a notable improvement: the quality of glossy paper, in fact, is really very high in most cases.

So, I advise you to use glossy paper printing in case you decide to keep your photos in a photo album that you browse less often than any other photo album (but aren’t albums made to be browsed often? Yes, you are absolutely right, but this factor can affect your choice of card).

In case you decide to exhibit the photo in a place, whether it is your home or a photographic exhibition, I advise you to position it well, so as not to expose it under or near direct light sources.

Matte paper

What is matte paper used for? Even prints on matte paper have a really beautiful result and their result is no less than glossy paper. I often use matte paper prints when printing photos that I have edited with my photo presets.

Matte paper is very versatile and is especially suitable for portraits, wedding photos, black and white photos (it makes the black and white effect very well) and photos that contain particular colors, as it too, like the glossy one, is able to slightly highlight the saturation giving the photos a very “realistic” effect.

Furthermore, matte paper is less subject to wear than glossy paper, therefore it absorbs fingerprints and lights less easily, therefore I recommend that you use printing on matte paper in case you need to keep the photo in a frame, make a photographic enlargement or in case you need to make a photo book (regardless of the subject portrayed).

All this because the matte paper is more manageable to the touch and gives your photo a more “soft” effect.

If you have to handle your prints or photo book very often, then matte paper is right for you.

Obviously, in whatever context you decide to put your photos, I still advise you not to expose them too close or under any direct light source, regardless of the type of paper you choose for printing. But that’s not all yet, keep reading the article.

So, in a short summary:

• Glossy paper: photos of travel, family, versatile in general. Suitable for prints stored in photo albums (handled less often), away from direct light sources, more robust appearance.
• Matte paper: portraits, wedding photos, black and white photos, color photos, photographic enlargements. Suitable for prints stored on photo albums (handled more often), far from direct light sources, softer and more manageable appearance, less subject to wear.

These are some tips that I want to share with you, as specified at the beginning of this article, they are mainly subjective experiences and tastes, therefore without any absolute rules regarding the choice of one type of paper over another.

Once you have chosen the type of paper for your photos, as anticipated, there are many companies that make your prints with excellent quality and materials.

Among those I have tried, I can recommend you without a shadow of a doubt Blurb, Pastbook, MixBook, Cheerz and SaalDigital.

These companies offer numerous types of prints suitable for every need with truly super offers and prices. What are you waiting for to have your photos printed? I await your considerations! If you are not able to create or design a photo book, you can purchase an online service with a professional designer on Fiverr, click here to choose a service!

I hope this article has been helpful to you. Otherwise I will be happy to answer your questions or clarifications that you can leave below in the comments.

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