How Glass Choice Can Make A Difference To Your Framed Art

Framing is all about choice. In fact there are so many choices it can get overwhelming - mat or no mat, floating or traditional, what colours to use, the type of moulding.

The combinations and choices are endless.

And just when you think you have made all of your decisions, you have another choice: what type of glass?

It’s All About Choice

If you have never framed a piece of art before, or have only purchased ready-made frames, you may be surprised at the different options available. The type of glass you use will impact the final look of your framed piece of art and will be dependent on:

• Where you plan to hang the work.
• How long you want the artwork to last.
• The type of image or item being framed.
• The value or importance of the work, particularly if it has sentimental value. 
• Your budget.

Your picture framer should help guide you through the choices so you can pick the best option for you and the item. 

Common Types of Glass

Two of the more well known glazing options are plain glass and reflection control glass.

Plain glass is the cheapest available option and protects your work from insects, dust, humidity, the environment and scratches. It provides basic protection but can have considerable glare. Plain glass doesn’t offer any long term protection from UV rays so your work will fade and deteriorate over time; think of how your dark washing fades over time when left to dry outside, the effect on your artwork if only protected by plain glass is similar.

Reflection control, anti-reflection or non-reflection glass, is another well-known glass. The name basically describes what the glass does: it controls the amount of glare or reflection on a work due to a special coating on its surface however some reflection will remain as light needs to pass through the glass for the image to be seen. In the past this coating often caused a slight fuzziness and dulling but these side effects have been greatly reduced in modern reflection control glasses.

In many ways the type of glass you use will be the most important choice you make when framing a work of art, a photo or piece of memorabilia.

At Quirky Fox we offer a range of different glasses based on the needs and budgets of our customers.

ArtGlass, a specialised picture-framing glass, is one of our favourites to use. It is a low iron glass available in three different grades of UV protection, 70%, 92% and 99%, all of which have anti-reflective coatings. All three glasses have extreme clarity and almost appear invisible.

The level of UV protection in glass is similar to how the UV protection works in sunblocks: the higher the UV protection the less your skin burns or in the case of art the less it deteriorates through fading, yellowing and other unwanted effects.

If you are on a limited budget you may find reducing the size of the mat or choosing a simpler frame and spending extra money on quality glass a worthwhile investment.