Redbubble Photographic Print vs Poster (A Simple Comparison: The Difference Between Posters and Photographic Prints, & How To Choose Between Them)

Redbubble Photographic Print vs Poster; What Is the Difference Between Them?

Although Redbubble’s photographic prints and posters are more similar than they are different, the main difference is the type of paper used.

Redbubble’s photographic prints are printed on photo paper and Redbubble’s poster prints are printed on poster paper.

Poster paper is water-resistant, so it doesn’t crinkle up or rip easily when it gets wet. It’s also a little thicker and more durable compared to the regular paper you see every day.

Photo paper is resin-coated and light-sensitive (more on that later). This type of paper is also water-resistant but is typically thicker than poster paper.

Let’s look more closely at what are photographic prints and posters to really see the difference between them.

What Is a Photographic Print on Redbubble?

Sometimes, digital photographs are printed on paper with a printer, but this is not considered a photographic print.

A photographic print is a reproduction (copy) of a photograph or artwork, and it must use photo paper (paper coated with light-sensitive chemicals). This type of paper is smooth and has a gentle polished look or a glossy finish.

Today, most of the high-quality photographic prints sold online (like the ones on Redbubble) are what you call silver halide photographic prints.

Silver halide photographic prints are printed by exposing photo paper to light and having the image infused in the paper through a silver-based chemical process.

Redbubble’s photographic prints are known to have colors that look very natural yet vibrant with amazing highlights and shadows.

Another great thing about these photographic prints is that the dye is inside the paper, as opposed to laying on top of the paper, so it’ll be resilient to being damaged by things like scratching and liquids.

What Is a Poster Print on Redbubble?

Posters (also called poster prints) are another kind of reproduction (a copy of an original work of art or photograph) and are one of the cheapest ways to decorate bare walls.

Posters are printed on all kinds of poster paper that differ in size and weight. But typically, posters are easily printed in bulk and use lower quality inks and paper compared to photographic prints. Posters are also usually printed on smooth semi-glossy or glossy paper.

Its lower standards of quality are what make posters much more affordable than photographic prints. But their lower standards in quality also limit their life span and careful attention to true color is usually not a top priority.

However, when you go to popular sites like Redbubble and Society6, you’ll quickly find that their poster prints are sold as high-quality prints.

Although poster prints are usually considered to be of lesser quality than other types of prints, Redbubble’s posters are unique because they are printed on extremely high-quality, semi-gloss, thick poster paper.

The weight for standard poster paper is usually 120-140gsm* which is sturdy enough for temporary posters you would find nailed to a post outside, advertising a band’s gig, or trying to find a missing pet. They can definitely handle a bit of wind and rain.

However, posters that meant to be hung on your walls as art should usually be 185gsm in weight or more if they won’t be framed.

Redbubble posters are 185gsm in weight!

If they’re framed properly with a contemporary poster frame, posters can look amazing (my absolute favorite poster frame is this one). Plus, framing a poster extends its life.

Are Redbubble Prints Good Quality?

With all the Redbubble prints I’ve ever bought throughout the years, I always found that the details were sharp, and the colors were vibrant.

And with all the customer reviews I’ve ever read about Redbubble (I’ve read over 5,871 reviews), I didn’t read many complaints about the quality of the prints.

But, sometimes customers will complain that the print is blurry or pixelated. This is usually due to the artist uploading a low-quality image.

However, if you do get an item that is not to your liking, no problem! Just let Redbubble’s customer service know about your issue.

I’ve dealt with Redbubble’s customer service before, and I can tell you (from my experience) that they’ll do anything to make their customers happy.

Size

One thing to note is that some of Redbubble’s prints are “custom sized”. For example, even though the paper is the for these two small prints (The New Year in Hisseii art print and We Used to Live Here art print), the images are different sizes. (FYI: Both of those art prints are trending right now.)

This means that you really have to pay attention to the sizes on the product page of each print you’re thinking of getting.