Matte vs. Glossy...

Good afternoon, ladies. Does anyone know if glossy or matte photos are better for long term? I love the look of the glossy photo, but I believe I read somewhere a while ago that it is better to print photos in matte. Does anyone know this to be true and does anyone know the reasoning behind it? I am curious:) And do you prefer matte or glossy photos? Thanks for your time. Artesha

I so semi-gloss. I don't like glossy, for one it catches too many fingerprints.

I don't know about long-term, but since you also asked about personal preference - I MUCH prefer matte photos. That said, I print at Walgreen's and the one closest to me uses a low-quality paper for their matte photos, so I go to one further away that hasn't quit using Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper yet. With matte photos I have fewer problems with fingerprints and I just generally like the look of them better.

Mia, yes...I love glossy, but you are right about the fingerprints. I haven't heard of semi glossy, though...

I haven't ventured out from printing my photos anywhere other than Walgreen's yet. I am about to place an order with them now:) The matte photos at the Walgreen's nearest me only comes mail order now. The glossy photos can be picked up in store, though.

Glossy paper and Matte paper, if stored correctly, have the same shelf life. Glossy tends to look sharper/more in focus because of the way light reflects off the paper but shows fingerprints, dust etc more. Certain matte papers can look out of focus, especially if it's a more textured matter because the light reflects differently. (I've tested this using sharp in focus images and printing on different papers). Photos are not only affected by the conditions you store it in (heat, light, humidity are all factors in preventing photos from deteriorating) but their longevity is also affected by the chemicals that are used to develop them (if the chem is mixed poorly, altogether wrong, too hot, too cold, or the chem or paper has been stored in bad conditions among other things) the photos will not look as good or last as long. Also, different companies produce papers that are archivally rated for different time periods. When I managed photo labs a decade ago, my machines used Fuji Crystal Archive i & II. Both papers were rated for at least 100 years by the ISO. The main consumer drugstore photo lab paper by Kodak, on the other hand, was only rated for 70 (and for some reason, the idea that some Kodak papers were only rated for 20 years is stuck in the corners of my mind).

The surface finish is just a matter of personal preference, much like the age old debate of Canon versus Nikon.

Thanks so much for that detailed info:)

Semi-glossy is also known as lustre, which is not always an option. CostCo used to do it as mail-order only, but they recently started doing it for in-store pick-up so I've started selecting lustre recently. I like

I prefer semi-gloss, matte to me just doesn't give me the sharper image i like! Plus with a toddler around, I have had light water drips on semi gloss paper and not run as matte did! Hope this helps

Thanks, ladies...for all of your wonderful advice! I placed an order with Walgreens yesterday...100 prints for $5.00. The photos will be matte. I like glossy, but I am going to give matte a chance. I wish there was a CostCo here, so I could try the semi glossy or lustre, though. Have a great weekend, lady bugs!

I agree that matte does not give a sharp image, but I placed an order and I will give it a chance. I wish I knew who offered semi gloss. Thanks:)

Thanks, Nat. I sent in an order for Walgreens yesterday for matte photos. Semi gloss is not an option with them. My brother took some incredible action shot photos of Devin playing outside in the water at Grandma's. If I am dissatisfied with those, then it's ok. I will have them printed through someone else. I paid $5.00 for 100 photos, so no love will be lost if I have to reprint:) Happy Thursday!

I get the lustre at WalMart. You could give them a try if you can find one located near you.

Thanks, Tracey! I live up the street from a Walmart:) Have a wonderful weekend! Artesha