There is growing recognition that besides specular gloss, the attribute of distinctness of image (DOI) is important in accurately characterizing the surface appearance of glossy inkjet paper. DOI refers to the sharpness of images reflected from a surface. At present, no consistent and quantitative method has been adopted to report DOI in the characterization of digital prints.The objective of this study is to assess DOI as a suitable metric for characterization of glossy inkjet papers using currently available methods. This study was conducted on unprinted sheets due to the complexity of choosing an appropriate test image and printer combination. Commercial glossy inkjet papers, both porous and swellable, were measured using three different methods for measuring DOI. The results were compared to each other and to surface smoothness, 60° gloss, and panel studies on visual perception of photo-like glossy appearance. The results demonstrate that even low gloss sheets (< 40 units), typically porous, may be perceived as having a photo-like surface due to high DOI. Certain measured parameters using available methods do correlate with the perception of DOI.