Matte Paper
Matte paper is definitely my go to for most of my paper crafts. I use it for my earring holders, cards, any type of signage etc.
I like matte paper because its subtle and depending on the type of paper you get such as photo matte you can really have vibrant colors without the shine. This is great for some art prints.
How do you know if it's matte??
You are not going to get much of a shine when you shine light on it. It will absorb it and won't bounce back at you. It also kind of looks like regular printer paper unless you get cardstock. I would say most cardstock you purchase especially at craft stores are going to be matte.
When I started making journals, I primarily used matte paper.
You can see that the art print came out amazing on the matte paper but there isn't much of a pop to it. It's very dull and these particular journals were not safe around water even just a tiny splash. I didn't use protection on them.
For my journals I used regular matte paper and until I did further research I didn't realize there was a difference between matte paper and photo matte paper.
Photo matte paper is still subtle but the colors are WAY more vibrant. These cards are made with photo matte paper and the colors are popping without the shine. I definitely prefer that over traditional matte paper.
In short, if you are wondering what can you make with matte paper, then I would go for signage, greeting cards(photo matte paper or semigloss), bookmarks, postcards, business cards, etc. My favorite place to purchase paper is Red River Paper
Glossy Paper
I think a lot of people like glossy paper because it literally draws your attraction. Whenever you pass by something bright and shiny you want to know what it is so lots of people prefer glossy.
I have recently transitioned to glossy journals because on a hunch I wanted to know what they would look like and I was just amazed. The colors for my artwork were far more vibrant than the matte paper.
You can practically see yourself in the glossy paper but despite the beauty there were some downsides.
All light reflects off of them so taking photos can be a challenge. If you use glossy paper for artwork for your wall then they will bounce light all over the place. It is also more expensive than matte by a sizable amount. My guess its the coating on the paper needed to make it glossy that raises the prices.
Glossy paper looks great for journals, stickers and art prints.
So when you are picking out paper you want to think about what you are using your paper for and how much shine you want to it. For my journals I have switched over to completely using glossy paper and coating it with laminate to make them splash-proof.
What do you prefer?
Matte or Glossy?