The de facto standard for wedding and portrait prints over the past four decades has been luster paper. Photo labs refer to this lightly textured media as the "photo e-surface." The terms satin, luster, and sometimes pearl can be used interchangeably. It strikes a good balance between the glossy and matte surfaces, offering the benefits of excellent color reproduction, a non-distracting surface, and fingerprint protection.
For portraits that are more subtle in tone, perhaps more artistic, a non-reflective photo matte can work well. Just keep in mind that matte papers do not have the same dynamic range as a satin or luster.
In the same class as matte papers are cotton fine art media with a non-reflective surface. The effect is similar to matte paper except most cotton media has some texture. You'll want to avoid the highly textured products, often called "cold press", as the surface will distract from facial features.
Canvas prints are still quite popular for portrait images. When displayed as a gallery wrap or mounted on board, canvas adds a bit of "gravitas" to your work. Blanco Matte Canvas is a great choice, featuring a remarkable coating and dynamic range.
Finally, you might consider a "fiber based" or baryta semigloss media like San Gabriel Baryta SemiGloss 2.0. This surface looks and feels like a darkroom print from ye olde days of photography (pre-1970). This type of inkjet paper just feels good to hold and looks amazing. When coupled with a high performance semigloss coating, you have an ideal choice for your best portrait images. Images copyright Rob Hull.
66lb. Palo Duro Satin® - Warm Tone
The warmer tone cousin of Arctic Polar Satin, Palo Duro is a wonderful choice for landscapes, portraits, and more.
- Satin Texture: Shallow
- Paper Tone: Warmer white
- Paper Weight: 66lb (266gsm)
- Thickness: 10.4mil
68lb. UltraPro Satin® 4.0 - Cool Tone
UltraPro will capture the true depth and range of colors in your photography, and lets your inkjet printer perform to its maximum potential.
- Satin Texture: Medium
- Paper Tone: Bright white
- Paper Weight: 68lb (270gsm)
- Thickness: 10.4mil
- 8.5x11 Pricing: As low as 27 cents/sheet
60lb. Polar Matte®
Red River's Polar Matte raises the bar for imaging excellence. This paper brings you professional quality in every sense of the meaning.
- Paper Tone: Bold Bright White
- Paper Weight: 60lb (229gsm)
- Thickness: 10 mil
- Reverse Side: Plain paper
Aurora Art Natural
Made using fine 100% cotton rag content, Aurora Natural offers the look and feel of fine art paper.
- Surface: Semi-Smooth (Hot Press)
- Paper Tone: Warm Tone
- Paper Weight: 64lb. (250gsm)
- Thickness: 13.5 mil
- Optical Brighteners: None
Aurora Art White
This Aurora features a brighter white shade for crisp color tones, semi-smooth surface, an acid-free base stock and coating.
- Surface: Semi-Smooth (Hot Press)
- Paper Tone: White
- Paper Weight: 64lb. (250gsm)
- Thickness: 13.5 mil
- Optical Brighteners: Minimal
88lb. Polar Matte®
The heaviest, highest quality photo matte available today.
- Paper Tone: Bold Bright White
- Thickness: 16 mil
- Reverse Side: Plain paper
San Gabriel Baryta SemiGloss 2.0™
A true photographic surface from darkroom days gone by.
- Surface: Semigloss with a slight texture
- Paper Tone: Natural white
- Paper Weight: 80lb. (290gsm)
- Thickness: 13.9 mil
- Optical Brighteners: None present
- Whitener: Pure barium sulfate (bartya)
Blanco Matte Canvas
Real woven canvas with an amazing coating layer for brilliant images that virtually jump from the page.
- Surface: Canvas double weave pattern
- Paper Tone: Natural white
- Paper Weight: 350gsm
- Thickness: 18 mil
- Optical Brighteners: Minimal
Last updated: April 28, 2022
