Glazing
Glazing Your Picture
Choosing the right picture framing glass is an important part of the design process. The choice will depend on the level of framing you need for your framing package. Different types of glazing offer different levels of protection for the artwork or item inside the frame. You also need to consider the lighting in the area you will be hanging the frame – both artificial and sunlight. The former can cause distracting reflections, and the latter can cause both reflection and also damage such as fading.
Choices available include:
- Standard 2mm float glass (ordinary glazing with a flat glossy surface). This is a basic glass offering little protection from the damaging effects of UV light and reflects light normally but is a good, cost-effective solution for framing less valuable items, (suitable for Level 3 & 4 framing).
- Artglass 99™ provides UV protection by blocking out 99% of harmful rays thus helping prevent the treasured keepsake from fading as well as yellowing of photographs, or paper becoming brittle. UV damage is cumulative and irreversible to framed artwork. The sunlight rays will react with the surface of an artwork or photograph, and change its chemical composition as it breaks down the bonds in the paper, dyes and pigments. The result is brittle paper and faded colours.
- Artglass AR 70™ reveals true colors and texture of the art – no green tint or optical distortions. Thanks to its anti-reflective coating, which reduces unwanted reflections to less than 1%, nothing prevents one from viewing the actual content of the framed item. Moreover Artglass AR 70™ has a smooth surface that allows for details to emerge unaltered.
- Choose Artglass AR 92™ to achieve an outstanding clarity with its capability to transmit ~98% of light and to gain a conservation grade UV protection of ~92%. Artglass AR 92™ will make you forget about green tint and optical distortion. Moreover, the anti-reflective coating reduces unwanted reflections to less than 1%
- Artglass AR 99™ is the highest performance anti-reflective glass with 99% UV protection. The “invisible” glass ensures neutral reflection color and helps prevent the treasured keepsake from fading. Artglass AR 99™ ranks the highest in the market of anti-reflective glass and combines superb clarity with the best possible UV protection highly valued among industry professionals and museums. Preserves the true colour, texture and beauty of framed artwork.
| 70% UV protection | 92% UV protection | 99% UV protection | Anti-reflective | Supreme Clarity | |
| Float Glass | |||||
| Artglass UV99 | Yes | ||||
| Artglass AR70 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Artglass AR92 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Artglass AR99 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
All of the above options are also available in specialist acrylic glazing where weight (due to size of the frame) or public safety may be an issue.
