More and more of our customers are upgrading their glass but what are the differences and is it worth it?
Standard Glass
Standard Glass has a slight green tinge and is the go to choice for posters (not autographed) and cheaper prints or digital photographs that are easily replaced.
The UV protection on standard glass is 40% and the light reflection is 8%.
You can quite clearly see, in the picture above, the problems we have photographing frames with standard glass!!
99% UV protection
UV fades art work and memorabilia. If you intend to hang your piece in a sunny area you want to ensure that it is protected from fading. You may be surprised to know that UV is also emitted from lights. When you have autographed pieces these will definitely fade if not protected. Also we have seen an increase in works using Alcohol Ink and these too will fade quickly without protection.
We use Artglass 99 and Ultra-Vue Conservation Clear both are the same quality and cost and we base our choice down to the size required. The light reflection is 8% the same as standard glass.
Anti-glare glass
Anti-glare glass has minimal reflections and in fact many customers touch the glass to check it's actually there as it looks almost invisible!
The photo below is Anti-glare on the left butterfly and standard glass on the right. You can clearly see the difference!
We use Ultra-Vue/ArtGlass 70 for most anti-glare glass which gives you protection from 70% of UV but we also supply Ultra-Vue/Art Glass 92 or 99 giving 92% and 99% protection respectively. Another benefit is that there is no green tinge. .
We would recommend this for all original pieces of art particularly textured artwork.
We struggle to take photos of our completed frames when anti-glare has not been used but when anti-glare is used it's a dream, hence why we receive enquiries for TV and filmmaking for anti-glare glass.
All Glass
Spacers or Mountboards are necessary when using glass as condensation can damage the piece if it touches the glass. We have seem many pieces (particularly photos) brought in to be reframed that are damaged beyond repair by sitting directly against the glass.
Cost
We like to be transparent in our costs because as much as you would probably like to frame everything in anti-glare it's good to know it's an affordable option.
Based on an average artwork piece of 50 x 70cm (20 x 28") the increase in costs for upgrading from standard glass are:
99% UV Glass £23
Anti-glare 70 £40 Bestseller
Ant-glare 92 £68
Anti-glare 99 £102
I think you'll agree that Anti-glare 70 hits the sweet spot in terms of benefit Vs cost and that's why its our best seller.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
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