Matt or Glossy inkjet paper?

[SAShruby]

I'm trying to figure out what are the advantages and disadvantages between matt and glossy paper...

It seems that people prefer matt against glossy, but I acn't figure out why. Right now, I have no choice but to use glossy inkjets (I have only Photo Black inks), I really like FineArt Photo Rag Baryta as cool and FineArt Baryta and Galerie Gold as warm, but there are number of matt paper users. According to Luminous, glossy papers have more DMAX than matt. Even piezo inks are matte and to make them glossy you need to spray gloss over.

Is is just because of paper reflectance? What am I missing?

[Gem Singer]

From what I have been told by, so called, experts glossy papers and photo black ink are best for color prints, and matte papers and matte black ink are best for B&W prints.

I'm sold on that concept. After trying several glossy, semi-glossy, and satin papers, along with a few types of ink, my B&W prints look the best when printed on (inexpensive) Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Matte paper using Epson K-3 matte black ink.

[Ron Marshall]

. Even piezo inks are matte and to make them glossy you need to spray gloss over.

Is is just because of paper reflectance? What am I missing?

Inkjetmall now has an inkset forlumated for glossy media.

[Peter De Smidt]

It is a matter of taste. Glossy prints have deeper blacks, but they also show reflections and glare, and possibly gloss differential and bronzing, although the latter two can be mitigated by good ink/paper combinations, or by after coating. Matte papers tend to have more dust on the sheets. (It should be brushed or blown off.) This will eventually lead to feeding issues. Yes, you can and should clean the paper path, but it's my experience that glossy sheets tend to feed through the printer better long term. Obviously, roll paper would be less of an issue. It can be very frustrating getting some matte papers to feed in some, especially older, printers. Inkjetmall makes both matte and glossy inksets. Maybe have them make some sample prints for you?

One more point, the fine-art papers can have a very luxurious hand feel. While that wouldn't matter for framed prints, it could be a nice benefit for certain type of portfolio presentations.

[Michael Gordon]

Mat or glossy? YES. A purely objective choice. What you're missing is your prints made on both types of media so that you can determine which works best for you.

Glazing is considered the great equalizer, so the "advantages" of one over the other become less relevant when a print is placed behind glazing. Matte black Dmax looks sufficiently black and surface reflectance of glossy is diminished when glazed.

Which is better? Yes!

[SAShruby]

Maybe have them make some sample prints for you?

I just got them today like 10 minutes ago. They sent me one sample in gloss and the rest is matte. I don't know, matte seems to me quite odd looking (kind of flat), but I didn't see it behind the glass yet. I think I need to frame those examples and then see. Just to be more precise I like more semi gloss, not glossy or high glossy. But again, the final framed photo is the final output, isn't it?

Oh and, if you're printing large like 24"x60" (8x20 enlarged), frame is kind of odd and expensive, would you still print on matte paper even if you're framing on aluminum or backing board? Would you glaze it or you would print on Semi Gloss?

[keith english]

I also didn't like the prints made on most matte papers. I could never get the contrast up enough to match the screen. I settled on Ilford Gold as a good semi-gloss that matches my screen exactly. The Epson Exhibition Fiber that people are giving away for half price now is also a great paper. The biggest problem I have with the semi-gloss is that you can't sign the surface with a pencil.

[Michael Gordon]

I don't know, matte seems to me quite odd looking (kind of flat)

One could say that about gravure or platinum as well

Oh and, if you're printing large like 24"x60" (8x20 enlarged), frame is kind of odd and expensive, would you still print on matte paper even if you're framing on aluminum or backing board?

Best to check with your finishing lab. They probably will not be able to mount/facemount fiber matte papers (mine cannot).

[Lenny Eiger]

When you hold a glossy print done with a great glossy system next to one printed on a great matte paper with good inks and control you'll see a couple of things. At first look the glossy will have a darker black. It also reflects. When you look at the matte, the blacks are rich and velvety and delicious, as are the range of b&w tones or the colors. After a moment, the black looks darker...

I look at it from the point of view of what kind of image one is making. If you want the image to sit on the surface of the paper and the impact of what is seen smack the viewer with a 2x4, then glossy is it. Robert Frank's work was not about subtle tonalities, but more about the juxtaposition of people or things he was photographing. It's about impact. One could even say shock value in some cases.

If your work is more subtle, and you want to transport the viewer to the place you were photographing, then matter is definitely it. I think most landscape work looks better on matte paper, if the photographer is trying to reproduce real tonalities. In a great print on matte, the viewer breaks the ground and falls into the image, becoming part of it. This doesn't happen with glossy paper.

Neither of the observations are absolute, and they are both in the realm of opinion.

I think more people ought to take a look at what matte can really do, or gravure, carbon or platinum... Personally, I dislike all that contrast... I don't live in a world that is that contrast, and wouldn't want to. But that's just me....

Lenny

EigerStudios

[Brian Ellis]

I just got them today like 10 minutes ago. They sent me one sample in gloss and the rest is matte. I don't know, matte seems to me quite odd looking (kind of flat), but I didn't see it behind the glass yet. I think I need to frame those examples and then see. Just to be more precise I like more semi gloss, not glossy or high glossy. But again, the final framed photo is the final output, isn't it?

Oh and, if you're printing large like 24"x60" (8x20 enlarged), frame is kind of odd and expensive, would you still print on matte paper even if you're framing on aluminum or backing board? Would you glaze it or you would print on Semi Gloss?

When you put paper behind glass you pretty much eliminate the difference between glossy and matte since the glass kind of takes over. If the glossy had better dMax that would still show through but otherwise the glass will pretty much eliminate the matte look.

I've tried several different brands of glossy, lustre/semi-gloss, and matte. I didn't like the glossy at all, it reminded me too much of the look of Cibachrome which I never liked. Crane's Museo Silver Rag was my favorite semi-gloss and the only semi-gloss I could tolerate. I prefer matte and have settled on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag as my paper of choice for now but as others have said, it's just a matter of personal preference.