Anti-reflection glass for framing

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This isn't really a large format question, but the audience here is into this sort of thing.

I am looking for an anti-reflection glass for framing prints. I have seen a product called CrystalView, but none of my local shops seem to know anything about it.

Apparently there are two similar products. At the high-end, Denglas, and another product with a slightly different technology, ImagePerfect.

Has anybody had experience with any of these glasses, or had a chance to compare them.

Thanks.

-- Glenn C. Kroeger (gkroeger@trinity.edu), June 09, 2000

Answers

Everything hanging in my house is behind Denglas. It's just plain old float glass with an AR coating. Certainly not cheap, and you'd be well advised to open and inspect every sheet before taking it away from the shop where you purchased it. Both coating defects and handling damage are common. However, once you overcome those hurdles, there's no better way to deal with glare otherwise unavoidable in modern "flooded with natural light" homes.

I saw CrystalView at a show once If memory serves, it was manufactured in Germany. It seemed to be the same AR-coated float glass as Denglas, and at that time was even more expensive. Makes sense given the extra transportation and import duty costs.

ImagePerfect is a new one on me. I'd be interested in hearing anything about its design, cost and availability. Competition is good!

-- Sal Santamaura (bc_hill@qwestinternet.net), June 09, 2000.


I used to work in a picture framing shop. We carried ImagePerfect. It is expensive, but it is far superior to regular or non-glare glass. We had a sample picture with three strips of glass- regular, non- glare, and ImagePerfect. The IP section appeared glassless compared to the other two. The only downside other that price is that it is difficult to clean. It is porous and fingerprints and smudges "soak" into it. You have to saturate it with an alcohol based cleaner to clean it, but its no big deal if you don't plan on handling your pictures alot.

-- Cameron Mosley (cameron.mosley@att.net), June 09, 2000.

"expensive"??? What kind of cost are speaking about here. Give us a ball park figure per square inch.

-- Pat Raymore (patrick.f.raymore@kp.org), June 09, 2000.

Just a guestimate - approximately 50-60 bucks for 11x14/16x20. I don't remember any exact figures, that was three or four years ago. Hope that helps.

-- Cameron Mosley (cameron.mosley@worldnet.att.net), June 09, 2000.

In my experience any glass shop or glass supplier carries this stuff. In fact the one near me, and I live kinda outta the way, has multiple grades of AR glass. Sorry I can't recall the prices offhand, but I'm sure only few phone calls to the folks near you will get you all the info you need.

-- Chad Jarvis (cjarvis@nas.edu), June 10, 2000.


For ABSOLUTE clarity, I had my last three pieces done with museum glass. VERY expensive, but is as breathtakingly clear as lead- crystal glassware. In the neighborhood of $135 for a matted 16x20 photo. I picked this over the conservation AR glass. Placed side by side over my Cibachrome prints in good light, it was no contest. I don't know the trade name, but I can contact the gallery where I had it done if anyone is interested.

-- Ray Dunn (raydunn@mcn.net), June 10, 2000.

Denglas is a good product, but just one of the options in todays market. TruVue Glazing has their premium series and conservation series, both of which also block the UV problem rays. The AR premium glass trasmits about 97% of the light while blocking 78% UV. The Conservation Museum Glass has light transmission of 97% and UV blocking capacity of 97%. The TruVue UltraClear is like the denglas water white, it doesn't have the green tint of normal framing glass, a real benefit in letting ones images look their best. If you want the best, this is the glass to use. I do custom photographic framing as as specialty & this stuff does make images look their best. Sandel CrystalView is also a good glass product. Pricing for these will not be cheap. Also, NO glass will stop fading of your images, they can only slow it down. Exposure to light fades images, it is only a matter of time. Using glazing designed specifically to slow the process makes sense, especially when the work is valuable for whatever reason. At the same time, why pay for the finest glass to protect the images while using inferior matting, mounting and framing materials? All wood frames give off gasses and have to be sealed with a metallic type tape to keep the problem at a minimum. Specifid mat board, such as Bainbridge Alpharag Artcare, actually has a micropore trapping system that helps protect images even from their own outgassing. Cheap mat boards and mount materials both kill images quickly. So does mounting or matting Ilfochromes and albumen prints on ANY kind of buffered mat board. Buffered boards are alkaline while the two kinds of prints are acidic-a mixture that hastens the death of your image. If you want it to last, conservation framing from start to finish is what is needed. Let down anywhere and you negate the protection you pay for with the highest grades of glass.

Pricing for this stuff isn't cheap, but then images framed to display at their best do sell for higher prices, last longer and look better.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), June 10, 2000.


Dan, thanks for all that good information. One question: do you frame a lot of Dye Transfer work? Otherwise, according to Wilhelm's book, UV isn't much of a consideration for photographic prints, color or black and white.

-- Sal Santamaura (bc_hill@qwestinternet.net), June 10, 2000.

Glen, I went to a framing trade show last year and was quite amazed at how well this glass appeared. I knew I had picked up some literature on it, but knew it was burried in piles of paper. Knowing what a good poster you have been, I went and serached for hours till I found the literature... here is what I found...

Sandel clearly perfect 877-726-3352 I don't remember their display. Image Perfect 800-876-6098 This one I saw and was blown away by the clarity... you felt there was no glass on it at all! Good luck Glen, let me know how you make out!

-- Bill Glickman (bglick@pclv.com), June 11, 2000.


Glen, the June 2000 issue of Picture Framing Magazine has a few pages dedicated to the different glass makers and the benefits of each. YOu definetly should get a copy of this if you are interested in the different glasses and their capability... 732-446-4900

-- Bill Glickman (bglick@pclv.com), June 11, 2000.


To help answer my own question, here are some web sites I have found:

http://www.tru-vue.com (AR and Museum AR glass) http://www.framingsupply.com (Image Perfect glass)

-- Glenn C. Kroeger (gkroeger@trinity.edu), June 12, 2000.


I can't remember seeing an actual gallery show that wasn't behind some sort of plexiglass. I have heard it is used because it is not subject to shattering into a billion pieces if dropped. The print is protected from being ruined that way. I guess the glass people have really expensive glass to sell you, but museums I have seen are far more concerned about not slicing the piece to ribbons if it falls. The plastics are also not as shiney as glass, and way lighter, the reason I like them.

-- E.L. (elperdido65@hotmail.com), June 12, 2000.

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