It is the plastic or paper of the photography printing world: glossy or matte lamination finish? Whilst the preference of a finish may be a matter of artistic opinion, there are still some qualities that every type of print offers that may possibly make one better than the other for specific applications. At Romana Photo Framing in Sector 34 Chandigarh, we are often asked whether matte or gloss lamination is better for a photo. The honest answer is you most likely cannot go wrong with matte lamination, but the gloss has its benefits as well.
So, the glossy versus matte lamination finish, which one is the right choice one for you?
Glossy Lamination
Glossy photos do simply what their name implies — they gloss over the photo, giving it a fine shine. The paper and the coating behind that glossy lamination are truly made up of the same stuff as a matte photo, except that more of the final coating is used. That additional coating of shine is inclined to provide the photo with an apparent boost in color and, well, like anything with a tad of shine to it, simply looks pretty.
The issue with the glossy finish is that it creates glare. You’ll notice light reflecting off the photo itself, making it hard to view equally under diverse lighting situations. One of the concerns a lot of photographers have with glossy lamination is even the fingerprints they have a tendency to draw. The finish of a glossy photo leaves the print more susceptible to fingerprints, which signifies photos that will see a good deal of handling aren’t the ideal shots to use with a glossy finish.
Glossy lamination is ideal for colorful shots, but provided that you don’t mind glare or fingerprints.
Matte Lamination
With less of that final shiny layer, matte lamination offers a similar lifespan, but without that glossy luster. Matte photos don’t fairly have the same color boost as glossy — though, if you shoot and process the photo correctly, you can still get a good deal of color from a matte print. Matte photos are inclined to be better for less vibrant color schemes or monochrome shots, especially if you were trying to imitate a film effect. Where the glossy lamination tends to highlight color, matte prints tend to play up the texture in the photo.
Without that additional gloss, the matte photo is not as vulnerable to shine and fingerprints. In general, though it’s not always the case, professional photographers tend to prefer matte laminations over glossy due to the lower possibility of glare and fingerprints. While matte tends to play up texture, the photo may look little grainer due to that enhanced texture, however.
Favored more by professionals, the matte finish does not glare or fingerprint, but the propensity to emphasize texture could even bring out unnecessary texture like noise from high ISOs.
A matte photograph’s anti-reflective qualities often make it a better choice for framing big prints, while the enhanced color may help snapshots stand out more with a glossy finish. While there is no right or wrong answer when choosing your finish for custom photo framing, there are pros and cons of each type that are important to understand with the intention of getting the most from your prints.
