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Let's simplify nomenclature

Let's simplify nomenclature

2005-03-11 by Djon

"Glossy" has a very specific meaning in photography. It means maximum
shiny, with no texture. Variations on that theme are not "glossy."

There are a variety of "semi-gloss surfaces," ranging from dull gloss
to faintly pebbled texture/shiney materials that are typically on
resin coated paper. 

There are a variety of "matte" surfaces, some of which are dead flat
matte with no texture, such as Epson Enhanced Matte (a benchmark
product because it's so good at what it does and so widely
distributed), and various "art" surfaces, some of which are naturally
somewhat textured, some of which are highly textured.

There are also various "canvas" textures.

With the exception of "art" surface, these terms have been in heavy
use by photographers for decades: "glossy," "semi-gloss," and "matte".
There is no excuse for adding to confusion by refusing to use the
commonly accepted terms.

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