jlemire Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 Just wondering how others display their prints. What do you thinklooks best? Glossy or Matte? Personally, I have glossy prints (4x6s and 8x12s) made and then framethem under plexiglass (Acrylite, actually). I never really thoughtabout having matte prints made up, but my lab accidently printed me acouple of matte 4x6s and I think they look pretty good. I willprobably have them make me up some matte 8x12s to see firsthand, butam interested in others' experience/preference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnabdas Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 *ALWAYS* matte for me. If I go glossy at all, I go metallic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_kramer Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 i always go with matte too, don't like that shine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbass_wil Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 I happen to have a strong personal preference: To me, the glare coming off a glossy photo isn't very different than having someone shine a flashlight in your eyes while you're looking at something. Would you give your 4-year-old a crash cymbal to play with while you were listening to a symphony? I don't like a competing visual stimulus that gets between me and the image itself. Gloss forces you to move around to find the angle that produces the least glare. On the other hand, glossy prints have a long and venerable history. _Someone_ likes them! Can't argue with that. I guess not everyone is as easily distracted by the glare as I am. But ultimately it's more important what you like, isn't it? Unless: Are you interested in what others prefer for commercial reasons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetonsflax Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 I like matte too. Glossy seems to make colors look more saturated, but I often go for an undersaturated look -- I think of it as looking "older" but I don't know where I get that from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnb Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 <b>Always Glossy!</b> <br> Maybe its just my eyes but I have <b>never</b> seen matte looking better next to the same print in glossy. <br> I print Glossy up to 13"x19" and would never take matte over it.<br> <br> It all boils down to what the photographer who took the photo likes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank uhlig Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Nature forum? It is simply a matter of taste of the viewer. Some like it hot, some cold. Not really a photographic question at all in my book. Do you prefer horizontal or vertical format more? Similarly silly to ask: just develop your own taste and he happy you like Chardonnay, or Bordeaux, or ...matte or glassy. Its the composition, light, rendition, stupid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 A glossy print may have the greatest contrast, that can be subdued with a spraying of clear Krylon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma_ho_fong Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 I personally prefer matte, but I understand that some photos may look better in glossy, it depends of the photo. For exemple: a photo of a car will perhaps look better printed on glossy paper because the photo will shine like the car body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vrankin Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 I've gone increasingly to matte. There's less care about smudges and finger prints. Twenty years ago I argued glossy for maximum punch. It's largely a matter of style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cham_saranasuriya Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Matte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg s Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 glossy :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_rhodes Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 I prefer glossy, because it pops the image more than mat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffdietz Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Personal preference - I like the punch of glossy. To me, matte seems to have an inherent softness to it. However, I sometimes go with matte to achieve certain looks.That being said, I can't stand glare from a framed print -- it always seems to catch my eye no matter how I look at it. When I'm framing, I use glare-free acrylic. A piece of 8x10 glare free runs around $2.00 from Home Depot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffdietz Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Correction...11x14 glare-free plexiglass from Home Depot for $2.00, not 8x10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbass_wil Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Ooh, thanks for that tip Jeff. Glass glare is just as bad as gloss glare to me. Glare-free acrylic -- right on. I hope I can find that easily up here in Canada. Someone else mentioned clear Krylon spray for taming a glossy print. I went to their website and found they make about 50 products in all sorts of categories. What is the exact product name you were referring to? Was it by any chance "Matte Finish"? thanks, Peter Wilson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbass_wil Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Plexiglass -- your correction noted, I posted at the same time as you. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 It has been such a long time that I cannot remember the ID on the spray can. "Matte Finish" sounds like a good place to start though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_tobin Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 My favorite is a compromise known variously as Pearl, Luster (Lustre?), or Semi-matte. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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