Differences in Print Style's- Lustre, Metallic, and Matte
If you’re a client of mine, you probably know that I offer professional printing services for my photography clients. It’s not required but I’ve found that my clients feel that it is worth the few extra dollars. And I absolutely agree! Where you get your photos printed can change everything from quality to color to overall feeling.
When you order through your online gallery, you will have the chance to order: prints, canvases, or albums! One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, “Which photo paper finish should I choose?” There are three options: Lustre, Metallic, and Matte.
My answer always depends on the look you are after for your printed image and also what features are the most important to you. If you are going to place an order for a bunch of prints, I recommend ordering a sample of each photo paper so that you can become familiar with which one best suites your style. But, here are my overall descriptions below:
professional prints
Matte
Smooth finish photo paper, non-glare, will not easily show fingerprints, and professional looking. Deep matte is a favorite among many photographers. Trust me when I say this soft and timeless look is something you will NOT regret.
Metallic
A photo paper with a 3D effect, brings out the light in the image with a slight shimmer, extremely durable, pearl surface, resistant to tearing and curling, sharp details, beautifully saturated colors, rich blacks for better contrast, and is best framed without glass.
Lustre
This photo paper is semi-gloss, industry standard and has true to life skin tones. With the slight gloss, it helps enhance the details and colors in the image. The lustre ‘texture’ helps with fingerprints and glare. It almost has a fine grain pebble texture.
here’s a helpful tutorial I share with my clients on how to download their photos and order prints
albums
step 1: choose your album
Italian Leather
These albums are made with 100% natural, Italian leathers selected for their texture, strength, and durability. The distressed leathers enchant with their rugged beauty, while the colored leathers are supple and luxurious.
Linens
These albums are where color meets class. The layered weaves of the linens highlight the craftsmanship and beauty of the albums. These linen albums dazzle with their many colors, while the Japanese silk offers just the right amount of sophistication.
step 2: choose your size
The 8x8 is the most popular book for parent albums and senior portraits. The 10x10 is perfect for ALL occasions. And the 12x12 is definitely the right size for maximum impact.
step 3: relive the moment
Each album is inspected after each phase of the production process from image sequencing to printing, fit, and finish. PLUS, they are warrantied FOR LIFE. If there is any sort of manufacturer’s defect, they’ll replace it or repair it at no cost to you! If designing the album feels like a little too much, don’t worry! You can opt-in to a pre-designed album and simply swap out certain photos from your session for other ones, or you can design the entire thing from scratch! Once you’ve got it ordered just sit back and relax as your album is delivered right to your door!