Are you a cat person or a dog person? Do you love Marmite or hate it? And do you prefer your photos glossy or matte? For some people it\’s as simple as that: they have a strong preference for one kind of finish or the other, and that\’s fine. But to really get the best out of your prints, it\’s sensible to think about what kind of finish is best in each circumstance.

First, the basics. The distinctive qualities of each kind of finish have both advantages and disadvantages.

Glossy photo prints are shiny and therefore have an immediate visual appeal. Colours look rich and deep, and the quality is clear. Images are very sharp (assuming, that is, that the original photo was in focus!)

However, the shiny finish means that glossy photos reflect light. This means that in some conditions they are impossible to view properly: an irritating glare gets in the way of seeing the picture. You will also need to take more care when handling glossy photos because the finish is slightly sticky, and so things like dust and fingerprints are more likely to leave permanent marks.

Matte photos, on the other hand, can be viewed in almost any light condition, and they tend to stay cleaner. Matte is particularly suitable for black and white photos, and since most professionals use it, matte photos could be said to have a more \’professional\’ look to them.

On the other hand, matte photos do not have the same richness of colour or give you that immediate sense of high quality. In fact, matte photos can sometimes look a bit grainy.

When deciding between glossy and matte, you may want to consider what you will do with the finished photo. Are you going to put it in a place where the sun will shine on it? If so, you will almost certainly want matte. In fact, for framing and hanging on the wall, matte tends to look best anyway. However, if you want some cheerful holiday or wedding snaps to put in an album, glossy might be a better choice. Then again, if the photos are going to be handled a lot, matte is likely to be preferable.

What about the practicalities? If you want to print glossy photos, it\’s recommended that you get a printer specifically designed for that purpose. It will be able to print matte photos too: what you get will largely depend on what kind of paper you use. To get the best out of your photos, look out for printers which take two black ink cartridges: one for glossy printing, one for matte.

Also bear in mind that some inks fade more quickly than others. Whether your printing is gloss or matte, go for pigment-based ink cartridges if you want a long-lasting result.

Above all, don\’t be afraid to experiment. Try printing a single photo in both glossy and matte, to see which you prefer. Try out different kinds of paper. Different kinds may have different results, and there are now even \’semi-gloss\’ or \’satin\’ papers, which combine some of the best (and worst!) qualities of both gloss and matte.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World, the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges, including toner cartridges and ink cartridges.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World (http://www.cartridgeworld.co.uk), the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges.

Author Bio: Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World, the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges, including toner cartridges and ink cartridges.

Category: Advice
Keywords: photo printing, inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges, printer cartridges