Best Paper for Printing Professional Photos

07/2/2025
by Michael McCarty
Founder, Tribeca Printworks
Printing your photos is an exciting step for a photographer because it lets you see the results of your finished work, helping you improve your craft. For photos to captivate and endure, you need premium, high-quality paper with a surface texture suitable for viewing up close and from different angles.
A paper’s surface finish is its most distinguishing characteristic, ranging from high gloss to textured matte and varying degrees in between. Each finish has unique characteristics that affect sharpness, color fidelity, contrast, and archival value. Whether you display your work in galleries, portfolios or for a business’s products, the choice of paper will influence the final presentation.
Types of Photo Paper
Photo printing paper is usually most distinguished by surface finish and quality. The main types include:
Glossy Photo Paper
This finish creates a striking contrast and saturated, vibrant colors to make images pop. It also makes fine details pop. Glossy options are the best paper for printing pictures of nature shots, travel photos or portraits featuring bright backgrounds or clothing. Be mindful of potential glare under specific lighting conditions and avoid excessive handling to prevent smudges.
Matte Photo Paper
This finish uses fewer coatings, allowing for varying degrees of texture to come through. It results in slightly muted tones and lower contrast. It is ideal for framing and viewing because it doesn’t reflect light. Matte paper is suitable for:
- Black and white prints: Matte paper creates a timeless, elegant feel perfect for monochromatic photos.
- Scrapbooking: Matte paper resists glare, dust, and fingerprints, so it can be handled frequently or stored.
- Portraits: The matte finish produces a natural, soft effect ideal for subtle details.
Luster/Satin Photo Paper
This photo printing paper provides slight reflectivity and texture. The finish enhances images’ depth so they appear more vibrant, making it a popular choice among professional photographers and hobbyists. Choose this finish to avoid the glare of glossy finishes and the flatness of matte paper. It’s the best paper for printing photos for weddings and portraits.
Metallic Photo Paper
Metallic paper offers a unique sheen that adds depth and makes your photos sparkle with a smooth and reflective surface finish. It uses a metallic base to complement the imagery for jewelry, glass and metalwork. Metallic paper is available in high-gloss and -luster finishes paired with a pearlescent base stock for a fantastic shimmer.
Photo Paper Quality
Printing paper quality affects the finished photo:
- Brighness and whiteness: Brightness refers to the reflective quality of the paper, while whiteness is the tone — warm, cool or neutral. Both factors determine how vibrant and pure the colors will appear.
- Color accuracy: This factor determines how true the colors on the printed image match the original image. High-quality paper represents the colors more accurately.
- Contrast: The contrast ratio compares your photo’s lightest and darkest parts. The best-quality photo paper produces brighter highlights and deeper shadows.
- Weight and thickness: Despite being a physical attribute, thicker paper tends to have a more professional feel and be less prone to damage.
Fine Art Photo Papers for Professionals
For longevity and preservation, it’s essential to know about acid-free and archival paper quality. Acid-free paper has a neutral or alkaline pH, which reduces deterioration and discoloration over time. Archival photo paper is acid-free and meets standards for durability and permanence. It is often made with 100% cotton, no unbleached pulp, limited metallic content and no optical brighteners.
One factor that affects paper’s archival ability is optical brightening agents (OBAs), which make paper look white and bright. However, OBAs may degrade over time, reducing the print’s long-term viability.
Cotton rag paper is composed of cotton fiber, which offers better longevity and absorbs ink better for improved colorfastness. Alpha cellulose is less expensive and is composed of a top-quality wood-pulp paper that produces the same results as cotton rag. Cotton fiber is more stable than alpha cellulose. Baryta paper is made by adding Barium sulfate coating to alpha cellulose to help provide Dmax (maximum black), boost contrast and extend the paper’s archival qualities.
Some top-rated photo papers for archival prints include:
- Hahnemühle Photo Rag: This paper contains minimal OBAs but is highly rated by Wilhelm Imaging Research for being 100% cotton, museum quality, with a matte, smooth surface.
- Canson Infinity Rag Photographique: It has an alpha cellulose base, a baryta-coated surface and a satin finish.
- Canson Infinity Platine Fiber Rag: This paper’s 100% cotton base is paired with a satin-coated print surface and a glossy, eggshell satin finish.
Canson and Hahnemühle also produce some of the best inkjet photo paper by offering ICC profiles for a range of inkjet printers to ensure the utmost accuracy and fidelity.
Best Photo Paper for Printing High-Resolution Images
Choosing the right paper can impact the final look and feel of your printed photographs or artwork.
- Portraits: A soft finish paper, such as satin or semigloss, can be flattering on various skin tones, offering a good balance between preserving detail and minimizing glare.
- Landscapes/nature: Landscape and nature photography often benefit from papers offering a high Dmax and a wide color gamut. High Dmax values ensure deep, rich blacks, while a wide gamut allows for vibrant and accurate color reproduction. Metallic and satin papers are popular choices for these types of images.
- Black and white photography print paper: Baryta-based papers are a classic choice because they offer exceptional detail and sharpness.
- Fine art prints/gallery shows: For fine art prints and gallery shows, giclée papers are the gold standard. Giclée refers to a high-resolution inkjet printing process using archival-quality ink and paper. Common giclée paper choices include cotton rag and textured matte papers.
- High-contrast images: Images with high contrast, like those with stark shadows and bright highlights, often look stunning on glossy and metallic finishes. Glossy papers enhance the contrast and create a vibrant, eye-catching effect. Metallic papers can add an extra layer of depth and dimension, making the highlights pop and the shadows appear even richer.
What Type of Photo Paper Do Professionals Use?
Most professional photographers opt for a pearly finish, which offers a slightly glossier look than satin photo paper. The pearly finish produces a vibrant color with lower glare than glossy paper. If you are new to printing and unsure where to start, professionals like the team at Tribeca Printworks can help you make your selection.

Choose the Best Paper for Your Photography Prints
Choosing the right photo paper depends on personal preference and how you intend to use the photos. Whether you prefer glossy, matte, or luster, each type offers distinct advantages that can elevate your projects. Now that you understand the different kinds of photo paper, you’re ready to showcase your best work!
Elevate your photography with Tribeca Printworks’ exquisite fine art photography paper printing. Explore our offerings and order your prints today to experience the difference that museum-quality materials can make.