A gloss cover is the default. I have gotten all my books done in gloss just because it wipes clean so easily and I just like the look. If you prefer, though, you could choose satin or matte.
Satin covers have a very slight sheen finish. The upgrade to this finish is free for Club HM members. (Club HM is free to join, so it's kind of a no-brainer because you get so many perks from it. Find more information about Club HM in the tab along the top.)
Matte covers have a dull, no-sheen finish. This upgrade used to be free as well, but Heritage Makers' supplier raised their prices and Heritage Makers felt that they were the highest-quality supplier, so rather than go elsewhere, there is a charge of a few dollars (this depends on the size of the book) for a matte-finish book.
By the way, the 13x11 book comes with a leather cover and a dust jacket. Periodically, Heritage Makers offers an optional upgrade of other sizes of books to a leather cover. The cover you create (or the one you see above, as an example) would then be printed as a dust jacket. This upgrade to leather comes and goes based on supply, but that upgrade is only a few dollars, too, based on the size. (Currently, I'm seeing it as a $7 upgrade on an 8x8 book.)
The only feedback I have, if you want an opinion, is from a friend who had her book finished in matte just to see if she liked it. She said it was very pretty but you tend to see fingerprints on it much easier than on a gloss cover. (Her cover WAS black, so that probably had a lot to do with it, too.) I don't have any feedback on satin covers, so if you ever decide to print a book with a satin cover, please e-mail me and give me your opinion on how you like the finish! :) (my e-mail address is at the "contact me" tab above)
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