Color Prints - Glossy, Lustre or Matte?

[michael_trump1]

<p>Color print, displayed hung, framed and under glass. What's your preference on print finish? Why?</p>

[Alan Marcus]

<p >The average daylight vista has a tonal range that often exceeds 2000:1. With today's technology, we are unable to capture this range. The best we can do is to capture 10 f/stop range. That can only happen if everything is up-to- snuff. Since each f/stop encompasses a 2x change in light energy, a 10 f/stop span 2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x=1024 or 1024:1. That being said; we are unlikely to achieve 1024:1. We would be lucky if we somehow capture an 8 f/stop range that’s 2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2=256 or 25:1. OK, the dynamic range of film or chip is likely 256:1. Doubt what I am saying? Consider if you could capture the full 2000:1 dynamic range, you would need to wear sunglasses to comfortable view such an image. We don't so no sunglasses needed, even at the moves which captures close to 1024:1. </p>

<p >OK we normally achieve 256:1, now what? We go ahead and print. Now consider that we view prints by reflected light. We trace this light's path --- light from a nearby source plays on the print. Now this light must transverse dye, strike a white reflective base coat, rebound, transverse dye a second time, travel to our eye. So what you say? This is gobbledygook! Maybe but the best dynamic range we have yet to achieve for a print on paper is 256:1. And, we can only achieve this range using glossy paper. A semi gloss presents 128:1. A matte is 64:1. </p>

<p >Now some images, mainly portraits, will tolerate matte or semi gloss. Prizewinning vistas cannot. So the real answered is every image is unique. Sorry for being wishy-washy. </p>

[jennifer_spencer]

<p>All things being equal, I like lustre. I like the pebbly surface that still catches the light selectively enough to get attention, but not so much that everything is uniformly bright. Matte just isn't eye-catching and Glossy is kind of scary in the eye-catching department. Subjects get sort of lost in glossy I think, and become a little two-dimensional. Plus, it's really easy to get fingerprints on glossy prints.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, all things are not always equal. Some images look very different on glossy than they do in matte or lustre. I have one that really looks like crap on lustre, and looks great on glossy. I printed it on both papers and it was clear which one I had to use for the final product. I think it has to do with the amount of over-exposure on the negative, or how much subtle gradient of light there is in certain areas - glossy paper does a better job with both of those things, at least in my experience. In my particular image, there is a gold-colored ribbon bookmark with printed text on it, and mixed lighting falling on the ribbon. On lustre paper, you get almost no definition in the bookmark, you cannot read the words printed on it very well, and the pebbly surface distracts from the smooth lighting gradient on the ribbon. On glossy paper, it looks wonderful.</p>

<p>It may also matter whether you're going to use "musuem" glass, the kind with low-glare (the kind that costs more). I can really see the paper through that glass. For my home, I use it.</p>

<p>Have you tried your print on a small scale on all three papers, or at least two different ones, before deciding? If it's an important one that is going to cost you good money to print large, you might want to do some 4x6 test prints.</p>

[michael_trump1]

<p>Very thoughtful answers, thanks! <br>

When I process my own black and whites, I always use glossy RC paper. I just never found a local lab that would do my color prints on the same finish. Everyone around here uses lustre for color. I'm going to use Adorama for some big enlargements soon and they have more choices than I'm used to... I think I'll have them print up some 8x10 proofs on lustre and glossy so I can see the difference.<br>

I'll also be mounting these under museum glass, but the less expensive "conservation" glass instead.</p>

[rossb]

<p>I like Luster when framed. Not necessarily for everypicture but most of the time. For a 4x6 I like glossy because they fit in photo albums and they pop out a little more. Also down the road somebody will be able to scan them easier to make more prints if they want to. I usually go with Mpix.com and they have a paper they call E-surface and it's a luster. They have a metallic paper and it's ultra glossy. </p>