What's the difference between museum glass and regular glass?
The only difference between the two is the UV protection. Museum Glass has 99% UV protection, which is the same as your standard UV filtering glass. It is designed to be amazingly clear, as well as protective for your art long term.
Most sunglasses today have UV protection embedded in the lens rather than coated over it, and most reputable brands list UV protection on their label. Look for a label that says “100% protection against both UVA and UVB” or “100% protection against UV 400.”
While they may look the same, there are some major differences to consider, such as reflection, clarity, weight, and UV protection. Some qualities common to all picture framing glass (regardless of how reflective) are: It's thinner than window glass, which makes it lighter.
Masterpiece Acrylic is abrasion resistant and can be treated/cleaned just like glass. It's also more fire resistant than any other glazing material, including glass. And if you're seeking to have artwork insured, acrylic is required. Conservation Masterpiece® has the highest UV protection you can get.
Invisible Glass™ consisting of anti-reflecting coatings minimize light reflected from the glass. In contrast with the luminous reflectance of bare glass on one side, which is approximately 4%, that of the invisible glass is only 0.08%.
Move yourself around until the view out the window, or a light bulb that is turned on is reflected in the glass. The light will be purple, green, or blue - some colour it isn't meant to be! That will tell you that you have the reflection control in the glass.
Conservation Glass filters out 99% of the harmful UV rays that cause light damage and looks like regular glass: clear and shiny. Museum Glass also filters out 99% of UV light, but has the added feature of being clear and virtually non-reflective because of a special coating.
Museum Glass®
This is the best-quality glass that you can get. It is unmatched with its clarity and protection. Museum Glass blocks 99% UV rays, it eliminates reflection so that it is virtually invisisble. It has premium 2.5mm thickness which provides better strength and rigidity.
Picture framing glass ("glazing," "conservation glass," "museum quality glass") usually refers to flat glass or acrylic ("plexi") used for framing artwork and for presenting art objects in a display box (also, "conservation framing").
Conservation Glass
Conservation or museum-quality glazing has a special coating that eliminates 99% of the UV light that can cause fading. This offers the highest level of UV protection. This premium glazing is also optically very clear and will keep framed pieces looking brighter for many years.
Does Home Depot cut glass?
Unfortunately, despite their extensive glass inventory, Home Depot does not provide glass cutting services. An alternative is to discuss your measurements with a store representative, who may assist you in finding pre-cut glass sheets that fit your specifications.
Michaels can do a very good job, but as with any frame shop, you should ask them about their insurance and policy limits should something happen to your art while in their possession. Many places have a $1000 limit to damage. It is best to find this out before you hand out your personal grail.
One of the best ways to save money at Michaels is with the weekly sale schedule. Every week, the retailer updates its Weekly Ad with newly released deals.
In addition, Museum Glass and Optium Museum Acrylic have a very special anti-reflective coating far superior to a typical, frosted, non-glare glass. This special coating is applied in extremely thin layers to break up the incoming light rays so they don't bounce back off the glass or acrylic, producing a glare.
Anti-glare treatment is especially to eliminate this viewing problem. Glasses with anti-reflective lens coating has the ability to diffuse the reflected light and enhance your viewing experience. When it comes to glare reduction, anti-glare is said to be more pocket-friendly than the anti-reflective coating.
Almost everything is better with anti-reflective glass, but there are specific use cases that make anti-reflective the far superior choice.
Taken literally, museum-quality simply indicates that the material can be used within a museum; however, when considered within the context of conservation and col- lection care, the term implies that conservators can use these materials because they are safe for long-term preservation.
For Museum Glass and Conservation Clear the UV coated side is always the side with the inkjet printing or static cling sticker. For Conservation Reflection Control the UV coating is on the opposite side of the inkjet printing. The UV coated side will also bead water or glass cleaner more than the non UV side.
Standard glass
Standard picture framing glass type, to a picture framer, is a 2mm clear float glass. It is relatively inexpensive and will protect your artwork from dust and physical damage.
It can be heavy and fragile, making it more suitable for smaller pieces. While moving artwork framed in glass, you must be extremely cautious as the glass can shatter and damage your piece.
Is glass or acrylic better for framing?
Today, acrylic is significantly better. Here's why: Acrylic is lighter than glass. It makes hanging framed artwork easier and less risky.
How To Easily Test UV Protection & Exposure - YouTube
According to the same study, yes, all types of glasses they tested blocked UVB rays. So, yes, windows do block UV rays, but only the UVB kind. Bare glass windows still allow up to three-quarters of UVA radiation. Meaning, your untreated windows still expose you to skin-damaging, even cancer-causing UVA rays.
Q: Do regular glasses protect my eyes from the sun? A: Plastic lenses do not protect your eyes. You need to have protection from UV rays, which is not inherent in a plastic lens. You can have a UV protective coating applied to a plastic lens, but polycarbonate lenses have built-in UV protection.
Virtually all new windows that are available in the market today are of the double-pane type. This means there are two panes of glass that make up the window. This provides an added layer of protection from the UV rays of the sun as there are two panes of glass for the rays to get through instead of one.
