Matte or Gloss?

We have been lucky enough here at Doxdirect HQ to have the willing assistance of a work experience student for a week. So to put him to good use we asked Greg (currently studying Media, Photography and Philosophy) to write a blog post, and as he’d recently had to ponder this very question himself, he decided to write about the pros and cons of gloss and matte laminated finishes. 

Over to you Greg:

Often, we spend so much time on artwork and design that we tend to gloss over (pardon the pun) an important element – the finish. Some may argue that the type of finish used can ‘make or break’ a print and I believe it’s a very important element.

Matte finishes can be used very appropriately for businesses, such as a menu – nobody wants to end up reading out the wrong meal to the waitress due to an overly in-your-face reflection. A matte finish can be easily read and can be more appropriate for more, well, serious matters. However, a matte finish may not be as durable as a glossy finish, such as the fact that matte may be more susceptible to stains. One possible disadvantage is that the colours may be slightly more muted than with a gloss finish.

And what about gloss? Well, this type of finish can create glare, meaning it is harder to see the print itself. Also, a glossy finish can show up fingerprints! However, for something like a placemat, it would be best to have a glossy finish. Gloss also helps boost the vibrancy of a print as well as generally looking appealing.

Essentially it’s all down to personal preference – there is no right or wrong answer. Whichever you prefer, let us not fall out as we ‘finish’ this blog post here.