Starting Monday, the Chronicle will start printing high-gloss paper used in magazines, a move that might make the newspaper more attractive to advertisers who want their products to stand out.

Some trade publications such as Variety and the Hollywood Reporter print on high-gloss paper, but the Chronicle said it will be the first daily newspaper to use such paper.

A front-page announcement signed by Publisher Frank Vega and Editor Ward Bushee said:

The introduction of high-definition reproduction, groundbreaking in the newspaper industry, is intended to enhance the experience of reading The Chronicle and better serve our advertisers.

During the week, the front page, most section fronts and some inside pages will be printed on high-gloss paper, featuring photographs, graphics and advertisements of exceptional clarity and brightness. Glossy pages will also appear in the expanded Thursday entertainment package: Datebook, 96 Hours and the new Ovation section.

On Sundays, the Main News section, Sporting Green, Style and our award-winning Food & Wine sectionwill feature high-gloss paper.

Bolder and brighter reproduction is another exciting enhancement to The Chronicle, one of a series of improvements in 2009 that have reshaped the Bay Area’s largest newspaper as it looks forward to the future. We hope you enjoy it.

The Chronicle shut down its presses in July and outsourced the work to Transcontinenal, which has built a $200 million, 350,000-square-foot plant at 47540 Kato Road in Freemont. The plant includes heat-set presses that will produce the glossy pages.

The AP quoted industry analyst Ken Doctor as saying the switch is another sign of how newspapers are targeting their print editions at niche markets as their circulation shrinks.

Doctor said the Chron seems to be focusing on older, more affluent readers who would be more likely to appreciate glossy paper. He also said it is an audience prized by advertisers selling luxury products.