i dont understand

Christina · Sep 15, 2007

whats the difference between matte and luster?

i know luster is like a shine, glossy kinda thing, but can someone explain the two for me please.

Christina · Sep 16, 2007

anybody?

cause when i go to print some photographs its give me the option to order it luster or matte, but some other places i order photographs from it only give me the glossy options..

nealjpage · Sep 16, 2007

I thought they were the same thing...

Icon72 · Sep 16, 2007

Gloss tends to show color the best, it also can be harder to see with light reflections shining off it. Gloss is also susceptible to fingerprints showing. Matte does not have the shine that gloss has. Matte tends to have a dull finish with some texture to it. Lustre tends to show the advantages of both, it shows color better than matte, but also has some of the matte texture and does not reflect light like gloss does. Hope this helps.

Christina · Sep 16, 2007

so would you say my assumption was correct if i said that matte looks like a painting finish almost? or is it still smooth paper and not a canvas?

also, how often do any of you print in matte?

Alex_B · Sep 16, 2007

this is not really something belonging into the general gallery ... as the name of this part of the forum suggests, it is for displaying images and commenting on them

LaFoto · Sep 16, 2007

Alex_B said:
this is not really something belonging into the general gallery ...

...which is why it got moved to Beyond the Basics. :mrgreen:

Alex_B · Sep 16, 2007

LaFoto said:
...which is why it got moved to Beyond the Basics. :mrgreen:

you do work a lot to keep this place tidy! ... but so does the spam police

Digital Matt · Sep 16, 2007

Luster is a compromise between matte and glossy.

Big Mike · Sep 17, 2007

Why not just order a sample of each, and decide for yourself?

NJMAN · Sep 17, 2007

Get samples from mpix.com. They send you free samples of photo paper, all you have to do is ask.

TheLostPhotographer · Sep 17, 2007

Gloss = super shiny smooth finish. Gives a 'wet' look and shows better colours in the right light.

Matte = very falt, non-reflective finish. Gives a 'dry' look and doesn't rely so much on diffused/angled light to avoid reflections on the surface.

Lustre = textured finish. Like gloss (but, not quite as glossy) with a textured surface to diffuse the reflected light. It's a compromise between Gloss and Matte.