“What the difference is between glossy photo paper and all the other types of photo paper on the market?” is a question that a newcomer to printing photos may ask. All types of photo paper are designed to bring out the color and details of your photographs in the best possible quality, but each type has advantages and disadvantages that you should know when choosing a photo paper for a specific project. Glossy photo paper is the basic, go-to choice for beginners who are looking to produce professional-quality photos at home. “Glossy” is the generic word for everyday glossy paper and “high gloss” could refer to Ultra High Gloss, Advanced High Gloss, Premium High Gloss or Professional High Gloss photo paper. There are as many kinds of glossy photo paper as there are brands on the market. You just need to discover the best choice for your project.
We recommend the Premium Glossy Photo Paper for printing photos with good color quality. The Professional High Gloss Photo paper is the highest quality, super heavyweight and longest lasting so it is worth it to spend a bit more to print your best photos on it. In the end, what counts is the color resolution and gloss level. Also, the longevity of the paper is an important factor if you want to consider it.
Here are some general characteristics of glossy photo paper: it is heavyweight and coated on one side with an inkjet coating that has a gloss to it. When it comes to everyday glossy paper, the gloss is more of an aesthetic detail rather than for protection of the photo so it is best to take care when handling the paper before printing. The oils and perspiration from the hands may negatively impact the print quality due to the chemistry between the coating the ink and the handling contamination. Glossy photo paper has different levels of whiteness and brightness. Some glossy papers are whiter and some are off-white. It is believed a brighter white produces sharper images but that is not a rule of thumb. It just differs based on the brand you choose, but an off-white photo paper can produce equally good results as a bright white paper. Photos printed on glossy paper are best suited to staying in old style photo albums such as those with a parchment or vellum sheet separating the album pages. The glossy finish always looks better in an album as it produces a slight 3D effect.
Glossy photo paper looks sharper and better than matte photo paper. That is why it is an ideal choice for photos that will be used in school, for business and product presentations and crafting projects. The photos will look richer and make a better impression. Everyday glossy paper is so affordable that you can easily use it over the standard printer paper for all of your photo printing needs. When printing business documents like reports, agendas, etc. one may choose to use matte or satin, semi-gloss photo paper since they are better fit for this purpose. Documents that contain more text and fewer images will perform better with a matte finish; glossy photo paper is better for any project that is photo or image heavy, like scrapbooking.
Take care to handle any photos printed with photo paper properly. Before placing photos in a photo or scrapbook album and especially before placing them under glass, make sure that your glossy photos are extra dry so that they do not stick to the surface they touch. Finally, glossy photos may also retain fingerprints from handling. Do not try to wipe away the fingerprints because you may cause damage to the photo.
Glossy photo paper is an excellent starting material for those who are learning about photo printing. Look for affordable photo paper!