All About MetalPrint Surfaces

One of our most frequently asked questions about MetalPrints is which surface will work best for your images. Here is a rundown that we hope goes more than surface deep. Whether your work is displayed indoors or outside, a commercial space or residential, or if you are just looking for a new way to present your images, this context around each surface will help you create a truly unique work of art for any client.

High Gloss is the surface most people think of when they think of MetalPrints. It has the widest color gamut of all the surfaces and the high gloss finish yields stunning images with amazing depth and clarity. This is a preferred surface choice for photographers of all types, but we especially see land, sea and cityscape colors pop, and astrophotography shine its brightest when coming through the lab on High Gloss.

Mid-Gloss has the deep color range of High Gloss, with less glare, perfect for areas with intense lighting. Because Mid-Gloss upholds that rich color vibrancy with reduced glare, we see a good amount of wedding and portrait photography on this surface. This is the perfect happy compromise between our most glossy and most matte Metal surface - a beautiful choice for all types of images and interior applications.  

Satin is our matte finish, with a soft look and minimal glare. It’s a great choice for portraiture, botanical images, or any photos that capture rich texture or details you want to highlight. Photographers who love the durability of Metal, but are looking for a smooth and unobstructed appearance for their images choose Satin. Fuji Deep Matte Velvet and Epson Hot Press Bright White fans… this one’s for you.

Our Sheer Glossy and Sheer Satin surfaces let the metal show through the white and light areas of your image, having the metal become part of the look. We’ve seen very cool and unique results when this effect is paired with high contrast images, and black & white images. Think architectural, fine art and design work for these stylistically unique options.

“Printing my work on the Sheer Satin MetalPrint surface from Bay Photo is my favorite because it maintains the high-quality modern look I want, while reducing unwanted glare. I especially love that the prints arrive ready to hang straight out of the box. Working with the Bay Photo team has been an excellent experience and I could not be happier.” 

High Gloss, Satin, and Sheer Glossy are also available with our Outdoor Performance EXT Metal which lets you take your art outside! It’s specially engineered to last for 5+ years in direct sunlight without noticeable fading. We’ve seen amazing outdoor art installations using this option, and it’s also great for signage.

“Performance EXT MetalPrints from Bay Photo are the ideal transitional material to create a more comfortable setting for your outdoor living space.” 

Sample Sets are available in sizes 4x6, 5x7 and 8x12, which are the best ways to see your image across all surfaces. We also have an Outdoor Performance EXT Sample Set available which includes Performance EXT High Gloss, Satin and Sheer Glossy surfaces.