The Best Gloss Paper for Your Photography

What’s the difference between gloss and matt photo paper?

Gloss, semi-gloss and matt are the standard paper surfaces. They’re available in a variety of finishes which alter the overall look and feel of your print, enhancing different qualities of an image.

Gloss Photo Papers have a reflective surface designed to make photos look sharp and vibrant. The shiny coating brings life and clarity to an image and makes colours pop. Glossy papers often suit vibrant, modern images such as studio portraits or colourful product photography.

Matt Photo Papers have a glare-free surface and are most popular for fine art images. Colours are more muted with less contrast than gloss papers, but the non-reflective surface gives an extra sense of depth and is easier to view in all lighting conditions.

Lustre/Semi-Gloss Photo Papers are the midway point to gloss and matt, often available in lustre, satin, or pearl finishes. These papers are a great choice for those looking for the clarity and vibrancy of a glossy paper with the depth of a matt paper.

PermaJet Gloss 271

PermaJet Matt Plus 240

PermaJet Smooth Pearl 280

PermaJet Gloss 271

PermaJet Matt Plus 240

PermaJet Smooth Pearl 280

What are the best glossy photo papers?

We have a wide selection of gloss inkjet papers available. Each paper has unique features that will bring out the different qualities of an image, depending on how you want the end result to look.

Our gloss inkjet photo papers are available in the following sheet sizes: 6” x 4”, 7” x 5”, 10” x 8”, A4, A3, A3+, A2 and roll sizes from 13” to 60”. All available with FREE Next Day Delivery.

Gloss 271

• A high-gloss, resin coated paper with a bright white base
• Suited to everyday photos, vibrant advertising work, studio prints and more
• The bright white base and stunning gloss surface makes images pop

• From £14.58
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Smooth Gloss 280

• A high-gloss, resin coated paper with a warm base tint
• Suited to high-definition colour and monochrome work, warm images and more
• The mirror like surface gives images a high-quality, commercial feel

• From £16.24
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FB Royal Gloss 310

• A subtle gloss, fibre-based paper with a natural white base
• Suited to exhibitions and fine art work, particularly monochromes
• The subtle undulated surface gives images a lovely, darkroom quality finish

• From £29.99
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Titanium Gloss 300

• A high-gloss, resin coated paper with a unique metallic base
• Suited to images with water or metal subjects, snow, and vivid colours
• The silvery metallic base gives images an eye-catching, creative finish

• From £25.83
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What is the best gloss paper to print professional photos?

Depending on the genre and style of your images, gloss paper can be a great choice for professional photos. The most important factor for producing professional prints is ensuring you use high quality inkjet paper and a 6+ ink desktop printer, like the ones in the Canon professional desktop range. If you are looking for archival qualities and long-lasting prints, you will want to explore the Fibre Based paper options.

Where can I buy glossy photo papers?

PermaJet stock a full range of photo papers from 6” x 4” to A2 and a variety of roll sizes – view our entire range of gloss inkjet papers. You can also find many of them at your local photo stores.

Matte vs Glossy Inkjet Paper

Although the difference between these prints is subtle at first glance, when you look at the close-ups you will see the benefits of using a gloss paper vs a matt paper for a vibrant image like this. Comparing the shadows under the berries and between the ice cream cones on the matt (left) and gloss (right) prints, you will see the difference in the density of blacks and level of contrast. The gloss surface benefits subjects like food, as it adds a more lifelike, juicy quality to the fruit and a lustrous shine to the ice cream. Whilst the Matt Plus paper looks great on its own, it’s these subtle differences that can really bring an image to life.

Matt Plus 240 vs FB Distinction 320