We spend hours picking the perfect mat color and the fanciest moulding, but when it comes to the glass… it’s often just an afterthought.
But here is the truth: Glazing (that’s pro-speak for the glass or acrylic) is the shield that protects your art and makes it look its best.
Ready to see clearly? Here is the breakdown of your options.
Round 1:
Glass vs. Acrylic
Glass: The Classic
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The Pros: It’s the standard choice with high clarity. You can also get “Low Iron” (or Water White) glass for zero green tint and true color.
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The Cons: It is heavy, brittle, and generally tops out at 40” x 60” in size.
Acrylic: The Heavy Hitter
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The Pros: It is roughly half the weight of glass and 20 times more shatter-resistant. It is the go-to for shipping, kids’ rooms, earthquake zones, or high-traffic areas.
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The Size: Need to frame something massive? Acrylic can be seamed to create sheets as large as 120” x 275”.
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The “Static” Cling: Basic acrylic holds a static charge, which is bad news for charcoals or pastels (it can pull the dust right off the paper!). However, modern coated acrylics can eliminate this problem.
Round 2:
Conservation Clear Glass: Fighting the Invisible Enemy (UV Light) ️
Standard glass only blocks about 45% of UV light. That helps, but it isn’t enough to stop the fade.
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The Upgrade: UV-filtering glazing or conservation clear glass blocks up to 99% of damaging UV energy.
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The Reality Check: While it significantly slows down fading, nothing stops it forever. Think of UV glass as high-level sunscreen for your art.
Round 3:
Museum Glass: The Battle of the Glare
Reflections can ruin the view, especially on dark art. You have two main ways to fight back:
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Non-Glare (The Old School): This glass has an etched surface to scatter light.
- The Catch: It creates a “soft” or slightly fuzzy look. If the glass isn’t right up against the art, it distorts the image.
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Anti-Reflective (The New Standard): This uses technology similar to camera lenses or eyeglasses.
- The Wow Factor: Museum glass reduces reflections by over 99% while letting more light through, making colors pop. It is virtually invisible.
The Bottom Line
Whether you need “bulletproof” protection for a playroom or “invisible” glass for a museum piece, there is a glazing option for you. Don’t just default to the basic stuff---ask about the upgrades to keep your art safe and looking sharp!
