Glossy or Matte?

[John_Knowles]

Hi all,

So what's the generally accepted opinion on the print finish of a competition print. Some of the competition images I've seen have a super high gloss lacquer finish, some are just the standard "E" finish of the paper. Those of you that do spray your prints...do you do it yourself or have your lab do it?

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Linda_Gregory]

We gave up the three day spray to get the three coats of high gloss. We now laminate the prints to get the high gloss.

I've heard that you don't need high shine yet everyone still does it, it's the initial impact that gloss gets that's still a winner.

[Holly_Howe]

Laminate - don't use the extra thick laminate - just the regular. Matte is okay on a watercolor paper. No set rule - just what usually works best.

Holly