How to buy photography prints.
So you’re thinking of buying a photography print for the first time but you’re confused by the plethora of options and fancy sounding words like “gliceé?” You’re in the right place! As a photographer, I’ll try and answer all your questions regarding buying your first photography prints, whether you’re buying fine art photography prints from a landscape photographer you love on Instagram, or you just had a photoshoot and your photographer gave you 50 different options for how to purchase your photo prints. Just keep on reading!
Paper, paper, paper.
Fine art prints differ from photo prints because of the quality of the paper they are printed on. Different types of paper will have a massive impact on how the photograph looks, especially if you are going to frame it under glass. The paper type also will determine the longevity of the print, keeping it looking freshly printed for centuries, or looking faded in just a few years. So what are your options? Let’s take a look.
Glossy: This is the most common photograph paper. You can recognize it easily because it is extremely shiny, smooth, and reflects light.
Why you should pick Glossy paper: Glossy paper is great if you want to make your photo pop, as it shows off deep blacks with saturated, vibrant colors. It’s also fantastic for extremely detailed photographs, as it products extremely sharp and crisp prints.
Why you should avoid Glossy paper: Because of its’ natural reflective properties, glossy paper will not work if you intend to frame your photos under glass. Light will bounce off the photo and create glares that blur the image and are simply unpleasant to look at.
Matte: This is the paper most often used for art, including fine art photography prints as well as printed reproductions of paintings. This is because of its texture that gives it a more natural look.
Why you should pick Matte paper: Matte paper has the smoothest finish (Sign me up! This is the paper I choose to use for my landscape prints). I’ll drop a few links to my prints below this article so you can see what kinds of photographs work well with a Matte finish, or maybe you want to buy one ;). Unlike Glossy paper, Matte is not reflective of light and can be used under a glass frame. It is also less susceptible to marks or fingerprints. Matte paper is textured which adds an extra element to photographs. Matte further does a better job than others in retaining all color tones in the digital file.
Why you should avoid Matte paper: If you are looking for a high definition print that requires sharpness over retaining digital color tones, you should avoid Matte paper. Matte will reduce the sharpness of an image and although the image will still be crisp, it will not retain the level of detail that glossy paper provides.
Luster: Luster paper is somewhere in between Glossy and Matte in terms of the sharpness/texture trade off.
Why you should pick Luster paper: Luster paper offers a great in between of Glossy and Matte as it gives you the ability to retain sharpness while also reducing reflectivity. It offers excellent shade and color range as well as definition and texture.
Why you should avoid Luster paper: No real negatives! This paper is what most professional photographers use because it takes the best benefits of Glossy and Matte without any of the negatives. You just shouldn’t use it if you are going for the perfect high definition that Glossy paper provides, or the more artsy finish you would get from Matte.
Digital Printing: Make sure you’re getting Giclée quality!
What is Giclée? Wow it sounds fancy just writing it —- but in reality, it’s nothing more than a digital printing style that uses archival inks, archival papers, and color quality control. Ok Pete that sounds great and all - but what the heck are those things? Well, all you have to know is that these three things make the print reproduction of the digital asset that you see on your phone or laptop screen precise! Essentially, Giclée prints will ensure that you’re getting a print that matches your expectations. If you see “fine art print” in the product description, you’re most likely getting a Giclée print because of the process’ incredible ability to replicate original art.
I hope this helps! Please feel free to comment any questions you still have below, and make sure to check out my prints for sale!
