Matte vs. Gloss/Luster

[sleist]

Latest purchase - Epson 3880.
More learning curve ...
Yippeeee ...

Things are going pretty well so far - considering only one week into it.

So, my question is this - matte black vs, photo black.
On the one hand, your paper choice determines the ink type.

Not my question.
This is my question ...

When is matte preferred over gloss/luster?
Is this a matter of personal preference or is there some standard one should orbit around?

Thanks in advance.

Me.

 

[The_Traveler]

When is matte preferred over gloss/luster?
Is this a matter of personal preference or is there some standard one should orbit around?

Thanks in advance.

Me.

 

[sleist]

Thanks Lew. Personal preference is a good thing.

I assumed this was the case. I was just wondering if there were "guide lines" that might help direct me toward a certain path, based on a set of image characteristics.
Looking to avoid wasting ink and paper reinventing the wheel.

Lucky for me, trial and error is familiar territory.

Thanks again!

 

[Village Idiot]

I never print gloss unless it's specifically asked for by a client. It looks unprofessional to me and doesn't make for good framed prints as the gloss is yet another possible source if reflection.

That's my preference on the matter.

 

[sleist]

I would say I agree regarding the glossy finishes.

I picked up a couple sample packs of papers. Canson has a couple I like for both B&W and Color - Platine Fibre Rag and Baryta Photographique. These seem matte-like in comparison to a typical photoglossy finish, but are formulated to use the photo black ink. I was just curious what others typically do. I figure people just find something they like for cost/performance and stick with it, but wondered if there were some who feel like they only print B&W on paper that uses the matte black or whatever. I intend to experiment regardless, but was curious what others do/use.

Thanks.

 

[KenC]

When I was doing a lot of printing, I used to print almost everything on a heavyweight matte paper (the best Epson matte) to avoid reflections and because I liked the color saturation. The only exceptions were the occasional image in which something reflective was prominent, e.g., ice, glass, etc. These looked better on semi-gloss, at least to me.

 

[Fred Berg]

Personally speaking, I don't really like B&W on glossy paper.

 

[gsgary]

Personally speaking, I don't really like B&W on glossy paper.

I do when wet printing some subjects

 

[Fred Berg]

Personally speaking, I don't really like B&W on glossy paper.

I do when wet printing some subjects

I will be starting wet printing in a month or two (once I have everything I need to get started), so maybe I'll experiment with it then. But printing B&W on glossy paper from the computer or getting photos on glossy paper from the lab isn't my cup of tea at all.

 

[Alexr25]

It's obviously a personal preference and in the end it's whatever suits the image but bear in mind that glossy paper has a significantly higher Dmax than matte.
Personally I've just discovered Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl which has the same texture and luster as the real photo paper that I used many decades ago.

 

[sleist]

Thanks all for your comments and remarks. I had purchased Jeff Schewe's book The Digital Print and, scanning far ahead of my current spot, I see that he covers many of my questions to varying degrees. Still, it's interesting to hear other people's perspective on this.

 

[greybeard]

For portraits, I prefer matte, glossy for everything else. (jmho)

 

[KmH]

I think of Lustre as an added coating that adds a bit of sheen, but whose main purpose is for fingerprint and UV protection.

 

[Alexr25]

I think of Lustre as an added coating that adds a bit of sheen, but whose main purpose is for fingerprint and UV protection.

I guess you could think of it that way but I prefer to think of it as giving blacks that have a richness approaching that of glossy paper without the spectacular reflections that glossy paper produces. The fingerprint resistance is a bonus.

 

[bribrius]

i order my prints. Havent printed my own (well serious work anyway) since my old canon died a few years back. never done gloss. matte for most things, especially art type things. sports photo or kids photo occasionally in semi gloss. stuff i want the semi gloss on has lots of bright colors i want to pop..semi gloss (or lustre) is great for colors. Prefer matte though over all. . As mentioned, the reflection is a headache with semigloss and even worse with reg gloss. unless looking at it straight on and depending on the light you have the gloss and whatever you have a for glass to deal with from the framing. .Lot of this matters in how it will be displayed and the lighting. It isnt even just personal preference, but type of photo, use of photo, display of photo and lighting of photo. As that matters the reflection and protection the photo needs.

To reduce fading i wouldnt go with gloss, but a semi gloss, or preferably matte. To wipe off finger prints go with a semi gloss or lustre at least,. to pop colors semi gloss or lustre (or even reg gloss if you prefer). They will pop more with more gloss. Although the semi gloss isn't too bad i would take that over the gloss, personal preference. Matte wont fade as quick, wont reflect as much, will do better in a glass frame with reflection/light issues. But wont pop those colors and dont wash off easy. . i have noticed the mattes are now more easily cleaned off than they used to be, and it could be my imagination but the semi gloss doesn't seem as reflective anymore. Not sure if they changed the formula over the last couple decades or what but something is up. Still makes enough of a difference obviously that i prefer matte over all.

long , didnt make much sense prolly. i am tired. two cents though.Look at deciding just like you decide if you want black and white or color. Then add in how the photo will be framed, displayed, how much handle it will receive physically and if you want it subdued, popping more, more protection needed, and then as i added in the next post, consider texture. whatever you choose effects the look of the photo and how it will be viewed, and how long it will last under those conditions.