Anyone who has a sense of photography taste understands the significance of posters. When chosen and placed properly, a posted can transform a room from just an open space to a spectacle of beauty. You can show off your personality and taste with posters and brighten up anywhere.
However, when most people go shopping for posters, they tend to just pick any choice that they see without considering some top issues. One such issue is the problem of choosing between a gloss or a matter finish.
When it comes to custom printed posters, the finish is one of the most critical considerations. Regardless of whether you’re buying online or off the rack, you need to put a lot of thought into this. Sadly, many customers don’t even know what “matte” and “gloss” mean as regards poster choices. Your choice will play a significant role in determining how the final product looks when you place it on the wall.
So, let’s take a few minutes to discern between the gloss and matte finish and how each matter.
The Glossy Photo Finish
As the name implies, a glossy photo finish essentially glosses over the picture in question. This way, the finish gives the photograph a better shine. It’s worth noting that the coating behind the glossy photograph and the paper itself are actually made of the same material as the matte image. The difference, however, is that the glossy finish uses more of the final coating.
This extra layer of shine can help to boost the color of the image. Like anything that has got a little extra shine to it, the photograph looks more beautiful. This is especially true when you put the photo in a well-lit room. The lights can easily highlight the photo and make it more noticeable.
However, while it has aesthetic appeal as a significant benefit, the glossy photo finish also has drawbacks. One such problem is that it can create some glare. In some scenarios, an abundance of light can reflect off the photo itself and make it difficult for you to view the image from a distance.
In cases of excessive lighting, a photo with a glossy finish could be pretty challenging to see.
Most photographers also decry the fingerprints that these finishes attract. Thanks to the finish, a glossy poster printing makes an artwork is more susceptible to fingerprints. This means that you might not want to get aa glossy finish for a photo that gets a great deal of handling.
All in all, glossy photos are more ideal for colorful shots. As long as you don’t mind fingerprints or glare, you can get this.
When a Glossy Poster is Best
Most printers will most likely counsel that you go for the glossy finish if you’re not sure what you want. The glossy finish is more versatile, and most people will love the extra shine and reflectiveness. Since aesthetic appeal is what most people look for in photos, you will most likely be better server when you get the glossy finish.
Rooms Where Glossy Posters Shine
As stated earlier, pictures are a great way to inject your personality into a room. Well, hardly does any photo do justice to that than one with a glossy finish.
These photos have that shine and reflective quality that makes them perfect for rooms with consistent and even lighting. So, for places like your kids’ rooms, a personal study, or even a home gym, these photos are the ideal choice.
Posters That Demand the Glossy Treatment
Gloss is also the perfect way to go if you have a photo that is bursting with life and movement. The glossy quality will help your colors pop against one another, thus making them more visible. It also creates the illusion of depth, ensuring that your images won’t just look bland and flat.
Generally, the gloss finish is great for the following types of pictures
- Sports pictures
- Pictures with an animation theme
- Artsy pictures that aren’t black and white
And more
Matte Photo Finish
Now that we’ve covered where the gloss finish shines, let’s take a look at the matte finish and how it works best
The matte photo finish has less of a shiny photo layer than the glossy finish. So, they offer similar quality and picture lifespan, but with less of a glossy hue. It goes without saying that matte photographs don’t exactly have the same color boost as the photos with a glossy finish. However, if you can shoot and process the photo the right way, you will still be able to get a great deal of color inside a matter poster printing.
Matte photos are usually the ideal choice when you have a less vibrant color scheme or a monochrome shoot. So, think of them for situations like the following:
- Trying out an artsy shoot with a monochrome scheme
- Shooting a film effect
- Making photo frames for locations with higher lighting
With all of these, it’s easy to see that while the glossy finish emphasizes a photo’s color, a matte print focuses more on the image texture.
Since matte photos don’t have any additional gloss, they’re not as susceptible to fingerprints and shine. While it is not always the case, professional photographers tend to choose the matte finish over the glossy one due to the former’s reduced likelihood of fingerprinting and glare. However, it’s also worth noting that the image in a matte finish might look a tad grainer due to the enhanced texture.
So, in general, we know that the matte finish doesn’t risk having any glare or fingerprinting. However, it has a high tendency to highlight the image texture. This means that it could also expose some unwanted picture qualities from high ISOs. Still, professional photographers tend to favor these photos as well.
When a Matte Poster is Best
As explained earlier, the matte finish is the ideal choice when you’re trying to reduce the glare and highlight the picture’s detail over its color.
Whether you’re framing under glass, displaying a poster with a dark color, or decorating in a space with high light intensity, matte posters won’t distract from the picture’s quality. This way, they reduce light’s power and invite more views to the image itself.
Rooms Where Matte Posters Make a Difference
Posters with the matte finish are the perfect choice for places with a great amount of natural light. They also work if the location is lit from overhead in a way that can reflect on the poster. This is why they work a lot for framing your photo under glass. The glass will make a second reflective surface, which will reduce the visibility of the poster in certain conditions.
As the poster (and, by extension, the glass pane) grows in its size, you will find that the effect grows as well. So, if you have a full movie poster and would like to frame it, you might want to consider the matte finish.
Posters That Look Best in Matte
The matte poster has the significant benefit of eliminating glare and inviting people to study the picture in its intimacy. So, it works for situations where there is a picture with an abundance of detail or a sophisticated depth sense.
Many photographers and photo archivists also agree that the matte finish is great for the black-and-white picture. this is because the finish takes out most of the light’s reflection, thus allowing details to appear in a sharper light.
