Non-glare glass vs. regular

[phanatic420]

I am building my collection and I am just about ready to start framing some things. My question is about non-glare glass. I recently went to a friend's house who had some things framed with non-glare, and while looking at the prints, it appeared to me that the colors were somewhat lackluster. Does non-glare "dampen" the colors of a piece, or was I just imagining things? And is non-glare worth the extra cost? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

[jojobadass]

I am building my collection and I am just about ready to start framing some things. My question is about non-glare glass. I recently went to a friend's house who had some things framed with non-glare, and while looking at the prints, it appeared to me that the colors were somewhat lackluster. Does non-glare "dampen" the colors of a piece, or was I just imagining things? And is non-glare worth the extra cost? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

I personally don't like non-glare......it does make the image a little hazy in my opinion. Spend the extra on UV glass though.....that's the key!

[thegig]

I personally don't like non-glare......it does make the image a little hazy in my opinion. Spend the extra on UV glass though.....that's the key!

Agreed. Non-glare does blur the colors a bit. Even if it didn't, I'm still not sure it would be worth the extra money. I always just go w/ straight UV.

[phanatic420]

Thanks! And "hazy" is the perfect way to describe the prints I saw framed under non-glare glass... so just UV and archival framing all the way then!

[dougr]

all non-UV glass is NOT created equal

same thing as "museum mounting" - be sure to ask what you are getting!

for example, check out this chart:
http://www.masterframing.com/technicalinfo.html

"Note that "Reflection Control" glass has just as much total reflection (8%) as regular glass. The difference is that the etched surface "scatters" the reflection so that you don't see a crisp reflected image and hence the reflection is less distracting.

The more expensive "Anti-reflective" and "Museum" glasses have optical coatings similar to that on a camera lense. Instead of "scattering" the reflection as in the etched glasses, the optical coatings allow a greater percentage of light to pass through the glass, hence reducing the reflection. "

be very careful selecting your glass, many "reflection control" products don't provide adequate UV control (indeed, some UV control glass doesn't provide adequate UV control)!

[phreeleigh]

If the print has a lot of detail, don't go with the non-glare. I made that mistake with the Big Cypress print with all the tiny numbers. If it is going to be in a room where sunlight will hit it, and it's not a finely-detailed print, I think it's a good option.

[Theseeker]

My wife thinks I am a psycho. I tell her my posters can't have direct sunlight hit them...I tell her this and that about poster care. She is ok with what I tell her but I have to ask you experts.


Is it safe to hang a poster on a wall that has baseboard heating approximately 3 to 4 feet below the posters? Will this dry them up and cause damage over the long haul?


I also have a basement room where the light hits the walls on one side of the room for about 1 hour in the morning from about 6am to 7am but only in the winter when the trees are bare...would this amount of sunlight fade the prints or am I being overly paranoid??

Thanks in advance for your help. I am very happy I found your site!

[AstroFan]

I'd also be interested about the heat. I have one of my framed posters hanging above a mini-fridge in my room that puts off a little bit of heat. Is that any cause for concern?

[djspikez]

http://www.worldprintmakers.com/english/conserva.htm
This site was informative and might help your questions. Here is some of it.

During periods of high humidity, use fans to circulate air and help discourage mold growth. Above all, do not store works of art in basements or attics. Do not hang them in bathrooms or over heat sources. Unless the building has excellent climate controls, do not subject art on paper to seaside locations or other damp areas.

[morst]

non-glare can be good for some things- if the print is large and will hang a few feet away from the nearest viewer, the non-glare can be very cool and unobtrusive. I have a piece hanging over my computer with Tru Vue Conservation Reflection Control, and it's great cause it's near a large northern-facing picture window, and it would have quite a mirror-reflection if it was normal glass. That said, the particular piece I have framed with non-glare is kindof watercolor-y, so it doesn't really have any fine lines. The slight fuzzy look makes it look even smoother! PS I am nearsighted too!! so YYMV

[dougr]

the problem with "non-glare" is that it only 50% UV effective, if that (vs. decent UV glass that is 98% effective or better). makes sense to put "non-glare" near a window, but ironically that is the last place it should be. check the chart linked above.

[wandering-gypsy]

My wife thinks I am a psycho. I tell her my posters can't have direct sunlight hit them...I tell her this and that about poster care. She is ok with what I tell her but I have to ask you experts.


Is it safe to hang a poster on a wall that has baseboard heating approximately 3 to 4 feet below the posters? Will this dry them up and cause damage over the long haul?


I also have a basement room where the light hits the walls on one side of the room for about 1 hour in the morning from about 6am to 7am but only in the winter when the trees are bare...would this amount of sunlight fade the prints or am I being overly paranoid??

Thanks in advance for your help. I am very happy I found your site!

I had a Victor Moscoso Neon Rose Doors 1st that I bought at the Postermat in the City in the mid '70's. I hung it in a hall with bright light. But, no direct light at all. It was in an archival solution with expensive UV resistant glass. I decided to pull the poster and put a new one in the frame. After 25 years, even with high grade UV resistant glass, the poster had faded a bit. It was noticably lighter than the same print I kept in a flat file.
So yes, light does damage.
Please keep in mind that the glass and lighting in museums is a quality that few of us can afford. Even this special, and very expensive, care does not prevent some light damage.
Don't stress - enjoy it in a low light area. I don't regret hanging the Moscoso - it only cost me a couple of bucks back then.
Keep it out of the direct sunlight and it'll last your lifetime. If you want to make the most money on your *rare* prints, don't frame them. But what's the use of not displaying your prints? They're not being enjoyed.