Interesting facts on paper quality (hint for a certain publisher)

[Richard T. Eger]

Dear Six Nifty .50s,

You do raise a very valid point which I hadn't considered. I grabbed 3 books and did a sitting chair comparison and I could see exactly what you are talking about. You can position the matte paper in any position without affecting readability, but care must be taken with the glossy paper, which is really semi-glossy, as glare can easily occur. And, as the pages will tend to hump near the spine, one needs to be careful.

So, maybe those old time book designers knew something we lost - putting the photos in clumps on gloss paper, while keeping the text on matte. Of course, there then isn't the immediacy of text to illustration.

I'm not exactly sure now what the compromise should be, but I am not happy with the photo reproduction quality on matte paper. I want to see the subtle shading differences and not have them lost in a sea of black or monotone. Grab Hiscock's book and you'll see what is achievable. Then the question is how to get there without glare.

Regards,
Richard