As for the gelatine on factory paper, that's so heavily hardened (isn't
that what "super-coating" means?) bugs don't usually trouble to lunch on
it -- except if you've softened it up by soaking in floodwater (or
whatever) for several days....
As for the lacquer-look on hand-coated prints: However we may think we have a
personal esthetic, unless we fight it step by step and even then it's
uphill -- we take on the values of our time. Today photography
expects/demands a wide contrast range -- our gods are D-max and paper
white. But I recall Paul Anderson, circa 1930, describing a particular
size/colloid combination with the promise that the print surface would be
*absolutely* mat. In those days a mat surface was the ideal -- as was, in
large degree, *lack* of contrast. It was common to put an overall tone
under a print, or to work on toned paper. (And to "soft focus" platinum
prints, though that's another story....)
Cheers,
Judy