A lot of computer enthusiasts get confused between Matte vs Glossy Screen for their Laptop Display.
Matte and Glossy displays are the two most widely used display screens and both have their own distinct features which makes them unique in their own way.
Matte Screen(Anti-Glare) reflects less light but the color representation is poor which makes them dull to look at. But these screens are preferred by heavy computer users like Gamers because they block blue light emissions much more than Glossy screens.
Glossy Screens reflect more light which makes the display near impossible to look at under bright light conditions. But these glossy screens have better color representation which makes them beautiful to look at.
Okay, so both are good in their own way but which one is the right fit for you? After you read this article, you will find out for yourself.
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Difference Between Matte Display and Glossy Display
Matte Displays are non-reflective display screens because they are coated with anti-reflective materials like Magnesium Fluoride and Mesoporous Silica nanoparticles.
These anti-reflective coating blocks the reflection of light and removes glare from the laptop screen by scattering all the light that falls on them.
Since light is not reflected from these displays, the glare is reduced, hence they are known as Anti-Glare Displays.
Matte displays have bad color accuracy and poor color contrast, which makes the screen very dull to look at. The colors don’t seem vivid and crisp in the Matte display.
Example of laptops with Matte Screen – Gaming Laptops like Razer Blade 15, HP Omen, Asus TUF gaming series, MSI GS65, etc.
Glossy Displays don’t have anti-reflective coatings on them. Instead, these displays have a shiny finish to them which makes them reflect more light and have more glare. Due to this reason, they are known as Glare Displays.
Glossy Displays have high-quality color contrast and the color accuracy is fantastic. The colors on these screens look sharp, vivid and crisp. Glossy screens are present in IPS Displays.
Example of Glossy Displays – Apple MacBook Pro, Tablet PCs like Lenovo Yoga 730, Microsoft Surface Book SX3.
Pros of Matte Screen Displays
Matte Screen displays have four major advantages. These are:
No Light Reflections from the Screen
Matte display screens remove light reflections from the screen which makes them a great fit for bright light conditions and outdoor use.
Light reflections from the screen makes it nearly impossible to look at the screen. You cannot concentrate on the screen due to a constant reflection of your surroundings, and you may miss important details.
Decreases the Amount of Glare
The anti-reflective and light scattering coating reduces the amount of Glare caused by bright light reflections. Glare is the strain in your eyes which you feel when bright light falls on your eyes.
The reduction in glare decreases the amount of strain in your eyes, reduces headaches, and helps you sit in front of the laptop for a longer period of time.
Matte screens are more common in Gaming laptops because gamers tend to sit in front of the computer for longer periods of time with high concentration. Hence a screen that reduces glare and reduces eyestrain is the perfect solution for gamers.
Although Matte displays reduce glare, they do not remove it completely. Using an Anti-glare screen protector can help it reduce more.
Fewer Fingerprint Marks on the Screen
If you touch the screen of a matte display, you will find that there are fewer fingerprint marks on the screen than a glossy display.
Matte displays have an oleophobic coating which doesn’t absorb oil and dust from our fingers. This reduces the smudge marks caused by our fingerprints and the screen looks clean with no prints or marks.
Reduces UV light and Blue Light Emissions
UV light and Blue light can cause a lot of damage to your eyes. There is a high risk of getting damaged retinal cells and macular degeneration if you constantly stare at your screen for a long period of time.
Cons of Matte Screen Displays
There are two main disadvantages of Matte displays. They are:
The Screen Appears Dull and Colors Don’t Appear Bright
The matte finish coating on these Display screens scatters light emerging from the screen. Because of this, the colors don’t appear bright and vivid to our eyes.
The color contrast is poor which makes watching movies and looking at photos unpleasant. The screen appears dull and boring with less color accuracy.
Matte Screens are Less Responsive to Touch
Matte Screens are never used in Convertible Laptops or Tablet PC Displays. Tablet PCs use touchscreens and matte displays are not as responsive to touch as glossy displays.
With matte displays, the touch is not registered properly and most often there is a lag in the input and output.
Pros of Glossy Screen Displays
Matte Screen Displays have two major advantages. They are:
Screen Appears Bright and Colors are More Vivid
The shiny finish on glossy screen displays does not scatter light emissions coming from the screen. This means that all the colors appear bright and vivid to our eyes with no loss in brightness.
The colors on a glossy screen display are more saturated and the color contrast is excellent with very high color accuracy.
The high color contrast makes dark colors appear much darker and the bright colors appear much brighter.
This makes watching movies, videos and looking at photos much more enjoyable. All in all, the glossy screens are a treat to watch.
Glossy Screens are Touch friendly and More Responsive
Glossy Screens are the default Displays in Touchscreens. All Tablet PCs use glossy screens because they are highly responsive to touch.
You won’t find any lag between the touch input and output. Also, the touch is registered perfectly most of the time.
Cons of Glossy Screen Displays
Glossy Screens have four major disadvantages. These are:
Reflects More Light From Screen
Glossy screens are shiny and reflect more light from the screen. This makes them difficult to look at under the sun or under bright light.
Also, more light means our eyes get more strained and you may encounter frequent headaches. That is why Glossy screens are not a good fit for heavy computer users like Gamers.
Due to high light reflection, glossy screens are not suitable for use under bright light conditions and outdoors.
High Amount of Glare
Glossy screens don’t have anti-reflective or light scattering coating. This increases the amount of Glare which is very harmful to our eyes.
Light reflections from Glossy Screens can be reduced using Anti-Glare Screen Protectors.
These Anti-Glare screen protectors have a matte finish which blocks light reflections from the glossy screen and reduces the amount of glare.
Anti-Glare screen protectors also cannot block reflected light emissions completely.
Attracts More Fingerprint Marks on the Screen
Glossy Displays don’t have Oleophobic coating which means glossy screen absorbs oil and dust from our fingerprints and leaves fingerprint marks on the screen.
These fingerprints make the screen hideous to look at. Finer details can be missed very easily due to these marks.
You can remove these fingerprint marks by cleaning your laptop screen with a Microfiber cloth.
Allows More UV Light and Blue Light Emissions
The absence of light scattering and blocking coating allows more UV Light and Blue Light to enter our eyes.
This causes severe headaches and may lead to permanent damage of the Retina if you are subjected to a lot of blue light.
These blue light emissions can be blocked using Anti-Blue Light Screen Protectors.
Matte Screen vs Glossy Screen – Which is the Right Fit For You?
Now that you know all about matte screens and glossy screens, it’s time to answer the big question.
You should Buy a Laptop with Matte Screen Display if:
(a) You are a Heavy Gamer.
Heavy Gamers should buy Laptops with matte displays because they spend a lot of time around the laptop and matte screen reduces the amount of blue light emissions leading to fewer eye strains and comfortable gaming sessions.
(b) You have to use your Laptop Outdoors or Under Bright Light.
Fewer light reflections from the matte screen makes the screen more comfortable to look at bright light conditions and for outdoor use under the sun.
(c) If you work on your laptop most of the time.
Sitting in front of a laptop and working causes eye strains and frequent headaches. A matte screen is better in such a case because of its blue light blocking capabilities.
You Should Get a Laptop With Glossy Screen Display if:
(a) You are a Photo and Video Editor.
For editing photos and videos, you need a screen with high color contrast and saturation so that the colors appear more vivid and crisp.
With Glossy screens you won’t miss a single detail because of its high color accuracy.
(b) You are a Tablet PC User.
Glossy screens are extremely touch responsive so they are a great fit for Tablet PCs.
(c) You use your Laptop Indoors under Normal Light Conditions.
Glossy screens reflect a lot of light which makes them near unusable under bright light conditions or outdoors. They are the best fit for indoor use under normal light.
(d) You are not a heavy laptop user.
If you don’t use your laptop almost all the time or you use your computer for light tasks like browsing, watching movies, videos, etc. then glossy screens are great for you.
Matte vs Glossy Screen For Photo Editing
For photo editors, the Glossy Screen is best because of the high color contrast and color accuracy. More color saturation means the colors appear brighter and you won’t miss a single color detail.
Glossy screens are also perfect for you if you edit photos with Touch Pens because they are more responsive to touch than matte screens.
Matte vs Glossy Screen For Gaming
Glossy screens are good for Light and Medium gamers who don’t spend a lot of time in front of the computer.
Heavy gamers should go with Matte Screen for comfortable gaming sessions which causes less eye strain.
Conclusion
Choosing the right display screen depends on what you use your laptop for. Frequent users are better off with Matte Screen while medium to light users should buy a laptop with Glossy Screen.
I run a business with my laptop so I have to stay in front of the laptop for more than 12 hours. That’s why I use a matte screen laptop.
My recommendation is to go for a laptop with a Glossy screen because the colors just look fantastic and you will have an immersive experience.
You can block the dangerous light emissions from Glossy screen using Anti-Glare Screen Protectors so you don’t have to worry about harmful light emissions.
Is there a possibility to get a glossy screen and a matte screen and change then as per my need? Why in technology there is always a choice between the two? I can be using the same thing for games as well as for light browsing, full time as well as for part time. That doesn’t mean I buy two month’s salary worth equipment separately for each use I have!
Sorry, A screen could be either glossy or matte. It depends on what you want from your screen. There is no technology that allows you to switch between two different screens.