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.

Again matte and glossy simply refer to the finish to the photo paper digital photos are printed on. To achieve the finishes, different chemicals and processes are used when printing. Matte finishes do not reflect the viewing light and appear darker and less bright than their glossy counterpart. Glossy photos appear shiny, reflect viewing light and are more vibrant and colorful.

Let\’s take a look at some of the pros and cons that come with both glossy and matte digital photo finishes.

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 therefore easier to view in 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. Drawbacks of matte photo prints are that they do not have the fancy high quality look that glossy photo prints have. Colors in matte photo prints are less animated 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.

As with many other choices a matter or glossy choice is a matter of personal preference. To make an educated decision you should have experienced both. If you do not have that experience you can choose a few photos some color and some black and white and print them both on matte and on glossy paper and in different sizes. Look at the prints and see what you like and what you do not like about them. In the future you would be able make better choices by applying that experience.