We offer the following print finishes: * Glossy * Matte * Lustre * Metallic
Glossy
A photograph that is shiny with bright colors, is a glossy finish. With glossy finishes, images are sharp and show fine detail. And, if you have to copy or scan glossy finished photos they don't appear textured or grainy.
While glossy finishes are what people traditionally select, there are some down sides to picking this type of finish. Glossy finishes are prone to show fingerprints an smudges. Wiping or cleaning the photo could leave marks or scratches. And, colored or black and white photos with glossy finishes produce glare, which makes the photo hard to see clearly at certain angles or distances. And with glossy finishes, some form of cover, glass or plastic, is needed to protect the photo from damage.
Glossy finishes are best for those general needs. When you want photos to show sharp details and have bright colors, this is the option to choose. Use glossy finishes for photos for albums or those the will be displayed in areas with low light.
Matte
Matte finishes are distinguishable from glossy finishes. In the case of a matte finish, the photo is a highly textured print. It does not have glare and does not reflect light. Matte finishes are great for use with black and white photos or sepia colored photos. This finish is option seen as more professional. Because of their texture and lack of gloss, matte finishes don't show smudges or fingerprints. Thus, they can be handled with little protection.
Matte photos are also common for wallet prints and posters, but in using this finish option, photographers compromise several things, including color sharpness and details. Matte finishes tend to look more grainy and scanned or digitized copies of matte finished photos tend to look more textured.
Matte finishes are best used for those special photography needs. If you want to develop black and white or sepia toned photos, use matte. Color brightness will not be an issue with this finish. Also, use matte finishes if the photos will be handled a great deal, be hung is sunny or well lit areas, or if you are restoring old photographs.
Lustre
With a modestly textured, pebble-like surface, lustre finish sits in the middle between the shininess of glossy paper and the dullness of matte paper. Though luster paper still suffers somewhat from glare, it is much less noticeable than with glossy paper. When compared to matte finish, photos on luster paper have better color saturation and detail. Luster paper is commonly used by professional photographers for wedding, portrait and school photos.
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Metallic
Metallic finish is a high gloss finish with very saturated colors. It appears as though the image is printed on metal (It almost compares to the back side of aluminum foil). Images tend to really "pop" when they are done on metallic paper. However, note that "highs" (bright areas) have a tendency to be over-highlighted on metallic paper.
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