The essential difference lies in the fact that prints are made by applying ink onto paper, while photo prints involve exposing a light-sensitive layer on photographic paper and chemically developing it.

Prints consist of small ink dots, utilizing the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK), with high-quality printers sometimes employing additional light versions of these colors. These colors are mixed to create all the hues in the printed photo by applying fine ink droplets closely together onto the paper. Upon close inspection, such as through a magnifying glass, one can discern these individual color dots, which form what is known as the printing grid.

Photo prints, on the other hand, are devoid of grids or dots. The photographic paper is exposed to light, typically using lasers, without any visible grid. This process employs red, green, and blue light (RGB).

Both technologies are suitable for photos, particularly for fine art prints with high resolution and a wide color range. For graphic works and especially for text, prints are generally advantageous as they can render text edges sharper.