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by: DanFeildman
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As you print your digital photos you have a choice of a matte or glossy finish. Glossy photo prints are named so due to their shiny finish while matte prints are more subtle and neutral. But how do you know which option is right for both you and the image you want to print? Basically the choice is up to you. There are advantages and disadvantages to bothlet's take a look.

What chemicals are used when the digital photos are printed will determine what the resulting finish will look like. Again the difference is easy to tell. Glossy prints reflect light well, are shiny and are very animated in their color. Matte finish however does not reflect much light and colors tend to be more muted than lively.

There are pros and cons to choosing either matter or glossy digital photo prints. Here are some of them:

Glossy photo prints: Glossy photo prints are shiny and are more tempting to the eye. They look fancy and present a high quality feeling to the photo. Glossy photo prints have vibrant colors. Colors also look rich and deep on glossy photo prints. A disadvantage to glossy is that the 'shiny' finish can make viewing the photo in intense light difficult due to the light reflecting from the photo print blinding the viewer. Glossy paper is also more apt to draw dust and fingerprints making the photo dirty over time. Black and white photos do not work as well with a glossy finish as those with a matte finish.

Matte finish: Matte photo prints do not reflect light and are thus easier to view at almost any light condition. Matte photo prints are also less likely to attract dust and fingerprints and are less likely to get dirty over time. Black and white matte photo prints look better than black and white glossy photo prints. On the downside matte photo prints do not have the fancy high quality look that glossy photo prints have. Colors in matte photo prints are less vibrant and less rich than on glossy photo prints.

So which one to choose - matte or glossy? It really depends on your needs and what you are going to do with the photo prints. As a general rule use glossy photo prints for color prints and matte photo prints for black and white ones. If the photo prints are going to be touched by many people and used a lot matte is a better choice unless you do not mind spending time cleaning your glossy photo prints every now and then. Also if you plan to print large photos (for example to hang on the wall or frame and put on your desk) matte is a better choice since a large glossy print would act as a large glossy and shiny light reflector.

Since the decision between glossy or matte is up to you, experiment with both if you have never tried before. Take some photos in both color and black and white and print them in both glossy and matte finishes to see what combinations you like best. By knowing what you like and what the end result will look like you can best choose in the future which one will work best for you.

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