Archival Matte Paper Vs Glossy

Select archival quality paper such as a rag cotton paper.

Archival matte paper vs glossy.

The shine on glossy prints also adds a contemporary element to your photos so this finish is not recommended for vintage style photography such as images printed in black and white or sepia tones. Gloss left appears smoother and shinier than matte right. In other words it is a measurement of how long the image will last without losing its colour and without fading or changing its tones. Matte finish has a lot of texture on the surface so it won t pick up fingerprints as easily as glossy paper.

However the matte finish on photos does come with a hidden cost. The images won t be quite as vibrant or colorful. Many of the inkjet art and photo papers we offer from innova hahnemuhle museo and moab were manufactured to conform to iso standards 11108 and 9706. The extra shine works well on print files with heavy color coverage especially photographs and big graphics.

Matte finish photos are useful for very small prints like the ones you keep in your wallet or passport photographs. But rag cotton paper will have a matte finish. Since glossy paper makes the colors of an image more vibrant this coating option works best for colored photo prints. Archival photo paper is a term used to define the longevity of a photograph or image on a photo paper.

If you are looking for acid free archival paper for printing photographs art drawings and heirloom books we offer dozens of choices. Matte and gloss paper are coated sheets that appear smooth.