Lustre vs Glossy: Which One is Better? | Top 5 Recommendations

Quite several photo papers exist from which you can choose if you intend to print your photos. Whether a professional photographer or not, you might encounter some challenges when deciding which paper to settle for. Among the wide variety of paper finishes, the two most popular include luster and glossy. But, you may want to know which is better between the two options.

In this article, let’s compare luster and glossy prints and the top 5 recommendations.

What is Lustre?

Lustre is a semi-gloss photographic paper that puts together the stability and flexibility of matte print with the sheen and variance of glossy print. It provides a top-quality appearance for the photos because of its slight texture.

Advantages of Lustre

Photo by Cheryl Winn-Boujnida on Unsplash

There are numerous advantages of lustre photographic paper. They include:

• It exposes accurate skin tones like black and smooth tones.
• It features a smoother surface compared to glossy paper which makes it acceptable to use when printing portfolios or gallery photos.
• It does support not conducive to light reflection for the viewer and can also be attached anywhere.
• Photographers can use it for any type, even wedding and school photographs.
• It supports a semi-gloss as well as a matte look.
• It is not prone to the risk of fingerprints or stains.
• It looks great under the glass.
• It can sustain large prints you can hang on your wall easily.
• One can look at it from many different perspectives.

Disadvantages of Lustre

Despite possessing a wide range of benefits, luster photographic paper also has some shortcomings.

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They include;

• It can lose some of its variance and intensity because of its gravelly feel.
• It does not allow for the correct reflection of light.
• There is no clear proof that it is as evenhanded and raw as the matte paper.
• One doesn't get the colors to come out as compared to glossy paper.

What is Glossy?

The other classic design of photographic paper is glossy paper which features a shiny and smooth varnish that adds a reflective finish to your prints. It's the standard photographic paper you can use to produce photos of your family and friends in any studio.

Advantages of Glossy

Photo by sarandy westfall on Unsplash

Glossy photo paper has various benefits, and they include;

• Its glossy nature provides an excellent overall outlook of the paper.
• It has a smooth surface that upholds and supplements all the credentials of the photo.
• With glossy prints, it is easy to notice the intensity of a photo. Blacks are truly deep, and highlights shine brightly.
• Glossy prints are also extremely vibrant by nature; hence, they capture colors very impressively.

Disadvantages of Glossy

Some of the demerits of  glossy photographic paper in photography include;

• Its intense glare is a challenge for viewers as they cannot see well in sunlight or bright places.
• It is highly prone to fingerprints and stains, making every touch on a glossy print visible.
• It's not the best paper for oversized prints that people can hang in their rooms since they easily stick to glass frames.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Lustre vs Glossy

Both luster and glossy papers will have one thing in common: photographs that look appealing. However, to contrast the two, you must consider the type of photograph you plan to print.

Both photographic papers have an intent surface, though lustre is not gleamy and soft as glossy. The texture in lusture photo paper is a bit out-of-focus as well as in matte paper, whereas glossy paper has a very sharp, glassy look.

However, there are a few things you need to put into consideration when comparing the two; Lustre vs. Glossy. They include;

1. Reflectiveness

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It is the main significant difference between the two photographic papers, even though both are shiny.

Thus, a glossy finish in photography features an intensively reflective surface that can create a vigorous radiance when you exhibit it straight to sunlight.

However, running a lustre photographic paper over light reveals a much finer and squashy drop of light that won't distract the viewer.

For this reason, luster photographic paper is mostly used by professionals and enthusiasts to show their projects as it is more flexible and can adapt to intense light beams.

2. Color And Variance

Lustre paper is close to a matte look, so it will dull the colors slightly and create a loss of brightness as compared to the natural sparkle that the glossy finish has.

Photo by Soragrit Wongsa on Unsplash

So, glossy could be your best choice if you like saturated colors with deep whites and blacks.

The smoothness in lustre paper provides beautiful and soft tones for a more artistic and skilful-looking print result.

3. Intensity

The glossy print provides the highest intensity and transparency, as the shiny layer bears the credentials of the photo.

On the contrary, luster paper features a rough grainy texture that dulls the intensity, so that's something to keep in mind if you need a clean and clear photo print.

Glossy vs Matte Photo

Glossy prints normally blend well with photographs that need their colors to come out as such photo prints enhance vitality. The essences that can be printed very well on glossy photos include pets, children, and glowing landscapes.

Photo by Analia Ferrario on Unsplash

Moreover, glossy finishing makes pictures look much more realistic and is therefore the better and enhanced option by event photographers like weddings.

The other option is the matte photographic papers. It does not have any reflectiveness at all, similar to their counterparts. It is flat and gives your photos a lumpy texture to bring a more artistic and vintage feel.

Let's say you are looking for photo paper to create fine-art prints and make touch photos without leaving marks on their surface. Well, that's when matte photo paper comes in handy; it is made of a heavier and more robust design that is not susceptible to fingerprints or marks.

5 Best Photography Papers to Buy in 2024

It is crucial to buy the best photography paper, especially if you are looking to present your photos in a professional gallery. In any case, what's the point in creating some great shots only to print substandardly?

With lots of brands and types in the market, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to get the right paper for your specific needs. As such, below is a collection of the five best photography papers you can consider buying in 2023:

1. Canson Infinity Rag Photographique Matte 310 gsm

Image Credit: amazon.com 

Canson Infinity Rag Photographique Matte is an extremely shiny matte paper with many blacks, tonic whites, and the best color certainty one might wish for. It features the following characteristics:

• It has many size variations: 8.5 x 11 inches, 11 x 17 inches, 13 x 19 inches, 17 x 22 inches, and many more.
• It features a range of different dimensions of the roll, such as 17"x 50', 24" x 50', 36" x 50', 44" x 50', 60" x 50'.
• It is made up of 100% Cotton material.
• It is up to 89.8% in terms of whiteness proportion.
• Its weight is 310 gsm.
• It is 18.3 mils thick.

Pros

Advantages of Canson Infinity Rag Photographique Matte include;

• It is made more accessible because you can buy it in either 210 or 310 gsm.
• It is bilateral since it is available in a one-sided or two-sided form.
• It has several choices for sizes. So you can buy them in sheets or rolls.
• It is one of the classical qualities of being solid and long-lasting.

Cons

Some downsides of the paper include:

• It is expensive and its price fluctuates regularly.
• Not all sizes are available in most common stores.

2. Epson Ultra Premium Lustre

 

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Part of Epson’s legendary line and portfolio, this Ultra Premium Lustre paper has a beautiful finish that's fit for framing. It includes the following major features:

• It comes in various sizes, such as 8.5 x 11", 13 x 19", 11.7 x 16.5" (A3) and many more.
• Its base material is made from Alpha cellulose.
• It has a brightness level of up to 97%.
• It is 240 gsm in weight.
• Has ten mils of thickness.

Pros

Some of the common advantages are:

• It is very clear and features a definite color.
• It dries out rapidly when it is wet.
• It is an ideal paper for framing use.
• It is available in packets that have up to a maximum of 250 sheets.

Cons

Some of the disadvantages are:

• It doesn't come in a wide selection of sizes to choose from.
• It also does not come in rolls.

3. Canon Photo Paper Pro Platinum

 

Image Credit: amazon.com 

Canon's Photo Paper Pro Platinum gives a glittery and glossy photo, ideal for usage by photographers who desire an exceptionally glittering finish. It has the following key features:

• It has different types of sheet sizes including 4×6″, 8.5×11″, 11×17″, 13×19″, 17×22″ etc.
• It has several roll size variations, for example, 17" x 100', 23" x 100', 36" x 100', 42" x 100', etc.
• Does not feature a base material
• It boasts a brightness level of about 98%.
• It is 218gsm in weight
• It is 11.8 mils thick

Pros

Some of its advantages include:

• It has a beautiful shine for lovers of gloss prints. 
• It's available for purchase in the form of sheets or rolls. 
• There are a large number of size options, including petite sizes. It presents vibrant colors very well.

Cons

It also has a few weaknesses such as;

• Rolls categories are not accessible in many stores. 
• Different printers may not get along with color profiles.

4. Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 gsm

Image Credit: amazon.com  

Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 gsm enhances and supports fine arts as it is one of the archival-quality photo papers from Hahnemühle.

Its main features include;

• The sheet size is available in different dimensions: 4 x 6", 8.5 x 11", 13 x 19", 17 x 22", etc.
• It has a roll size available in 17" x 39', 24"x 39', 36"x 39' and 44"x 39 specifications.
• The base material of the paper is made from cotton rags.
• It shines at a brightness level of up to 93%.
• Its weight is 308gsm.
• It has a thickness of 18.8 mil.

Pros

• It comes in 188, 308, or 500 gsm variations making it more convenient.
• You can buy either sheet or roll design options.
• Available in both single and double-sided options.
• It is acid- and lignin-free for the best resistance to age.
• It does have an attractive texture.

Cons

• It can be quite costly and thus expensive, especially to everyday users.

5. Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag 310gsm

 

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The Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag provides soft fibre paper formally used to develop black and white prints. Its key features are:

• The available Sheet Size is 5 x 7", 8.5 x 11", 11 x 17", 13 x 19", 17 x 22", and so forth.
• Available in different roll size dimensions, such as 17" x 50', 24" x 50', 36" x 50', 44" x 50', and 60" x 50'.
• It features a cotton rag base material.
• It is whiteness level is up to 89%.
• Its weight is 310 gsm.
• It is 15.6 mils thick.

Pros

• This paper is available in a wide variety of sizes, including extra-large variations.
• It's available in roll forms and sheet forms.
• Provides a smooth, velvety finish
• It produces  a high-quality print

Cons

• It can be quite costly.

Conclusion

After comparing lustre vs. glossy finish, there is no particular champion as both have varied uses. If you are looking forward to photos to put on your wall, the lustre photo paper is ideal, but if you want a picture with a smooth surface that keeps and complements all the photo credentials, you can go for the glossy paper.

Therefore, the type of photo paper you opt for can change your photograph's look, status, and positive viewing experience. Be careful with the choice of your photo paper regardless of wherever you are printing your photographs.

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