Congratulations to Javier Sotomayor, November 2023 PFRE Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was "Open." Javier Sotomayor - Entry #879 Dave Koch - Entry #877 Peter Wingfield - Entry #874 Here's what Javier has to say: Hello First of all I wa ...
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You might want to print your real estate photos for showcasing in exhibitions. The following glossy vs matte photo guide will help you choose a fingerprint-resistant printing paper that can reveal the details even in bright lighting or a shiny paper that reveals the true color vibrancy.
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Printing papers come in varying sizes, softness, and finishes, with the most common finishes being glossy and matte. Keeping in mind that you might want to print high-resolution real estate images to showcase the property, the following guide helps you choose a print paper finish that meets your needs.
Glossy photos have a shiny natural appearance as they are designed to reflect light instead of refracting it. Most real estate photos printed on glossy surfaces are high-contrast images such as black & white shots or portrait and landscape images meant to appeal to the eye.
Matte photos have less gloss percentage, which makes them absorb light rather than reflect it. This makes them great papers for printing textured objects or hiding surface imperfections such as little wall flaws.
The matte texture is best suited for photos often viewed and passed around by hand as it is less sensitive to fingerprints. Usually, matte papers give sepia or black-and-white tones a more classic look.
The kind of print paper you choose can affect the texture of the photo, its durability, and its looks. Although glossy and matte photos have similarities depending on the colors of the image being printed, their differences in reflecting light affect the overall appearance of the photo depending on the lighting conditions.
Although the extra layer of reflective coating on glossy paper creates a noticeable difference between glossy and matte photos, the two print papers are high-quality, and the resulting photos have the following similarities.
Although both glossy and matte photos can be eye-catching, and you might not outrightly notice their difference, especially in ambient lighting, their difference in light reflection gives them the following photo vibrancy, overhead lighting, and glass framing differences.
Scratches tend to make some portions of the photo a little blurry than other parts. The shiny texture of a glossy print makes a glossy photo prone to scratches, especially when handled by many hands, such as when showcasing in an exhibition.
Glossy photos also tend to get fingerprints much more easily, making them look dirty and mishandled. On the other hand, the matte photo finish is more resilient to scratches and fingerprints due to its texture.
Framing images is a great way of protecting your artwork from dust, smudges, and discoloration over time. However, depending on the type of print paper, the glass frame can draw or distract the viewer's attention from your artwork.
When you put a glossy photo on a glass frame, you intensify the glare because the shiny surface of the glass and that of the print will reflect light. Additionally, the sticky nature of gloss coating makes glossy images appear as if they have an oily residue on the areas sticking to the glass.
This sticking and oily appearance can make the photo look low-quality. On the other hand, matte photos tend to absorb the light rather than reflect it, reducing the glare. The texture of the matte finishes also helps prevent the photo from sticking to the glass of the frame.
Overhead lighting, also known as ceiling lighting, is lighting mounted on the ceiling or above the photo you are viewing, illuminating the print paper at an angle. Keeping in mind that the glossy finish is shiny and reflective, the photo tends to produce glare under overhead lighting.
Usually, the reflections intensify depending on the angle of the light, and you might need to keep adjusting the photo positioning to reduce the glare.
On the other hand, the texture and dull finish of the matte paper don't reflect much light. This makes the photo clear and the details visible even under the harsh overhead light.
Color is one of the essential elements in real estate
A glossy photographic paper enhances the vibrancy of colors and brings out the contrast in a much more appealing way due to its smoothness and shiny finish. However, this vibrancy works well when printing high-resolution images, as the pixels per square inch are high.
Keeping in mind that matte prints refracts light, it makes the color of your photos less vibrant. Matte printing papers also reduce the sharpness of an image, making them unsuitable for use where you want to emphasize clarity.
The major distinguishing factor between glossy and matte photos is the layer of coatings applied on the photographic paper. A glossy photo has a layer of polishing coatings that makes it shiny and smooth. However, this polishing causes reflections even under ambient lighting.
On the other hand, a matte photo has a layer of rougher coatings that makes it have uneven surfaces, which helps absorb light instead of reflecting it. Typically, the rough texture of the matte paper reflects light in varying directions, causing the light to scatter and create a refractive effect instead of bouncing the light to your eyes.
This allows you to view the photo even under bright lighting. The finish of the matte photos also makes them look softer than the glossy photos. Remember that the rougher matte finish is still smoother than an uncoated printing paper.
Keeping in mind that a glossy photo finish has a polished layer of coating, it's best for colored prints where you want to emphasize the vibrance of colors, such as the green color of the backyard or lawn in a real estate exterior photo.
Glossy photos are also crisp, clear, and detailed, making them the best choice for printing portraits, as the skin will appear smooth, and the color will look natural.
You can use a glossy photo finish to create smaller high-resolution prints for presenting, preserving, and arranging personal and family history in a book, box, or card.
Matte photo finishes are ideal where you want the details to be visible regardless of the lighting conditions. The lack of reflections and glares also makes them the best if you are putting the picture in a glass frame.
You can also use matte photos to showcase your real estate images in an exhibition since it gives them a more professional touch than glossy ones. The matte papers are also fingerprint-resistant, so the photo won't look dirtied and mishandled over time.
Matte photos are versatile and a better option as you can place them behind frames without sticking to the glass. You can also view matte photos under natural lighting or bright ceiling-mounted interior lighting without the inconvenience of glare.
The above glossy vs matte photo guide details the reflective qualities of glossy papers and how you can use them for smooth and visually appealing photos with vibrant colors. You can also use the more-textured matte papers to print scratch and fingerprint-resistant images.
