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Hello! Learning about acrylic glazing -- UV, AR, etc.

Posted: Sat 30 Jun, 2018 10:11 pm
by ltlredwagon
Hello! I'm in the L.A. area. Photography is a hobby. I've done mostly medium and large format B&W work, landscapes primarily, and some color work. Printing with Epson 3880. I often frame B&W images (usually in the 16X20 range) in the manner I've seen from Ansel Adams and a few others. Image mounted on white backing board, single white mat (my choice of whites might vary slightly, depending on how I print the image and if there is any toning) with 1/2 reveal around the image, and a simple black frame. I use a C&H Advantage Pro.

For color images I seem to prefer a double mat and often spend quite a lot of time selecting whites or colors and "matting" the image in photoshop to try to get a sense of how it will look. I usually find appropriate framing online. Or I'll use frames I've purchased at estate sales or yard sales and often find some remarkable frames at low prices. I sometimes alter the frames using a chop saw.

My interest in contacting the forum concerns the use of plexiglas in framing. Only indoors use. I'm not a museum, but I like very high quality. I like "archival", but just for great grandkids (who will have the digital files) not fans in the next millenium. I have a local mom-n-pop hardware store that is happy to cut plexi for me, so I can store large sheets and take over there for cutting. The choices I'm aware of currently are 1) UV filtering OP3/UF-5 acrylic; 2) Clear OP3/P99 UV filtering non-glare (seems to be about 50% more than OP3/UF-5); and 3) UV filtering museum grade OP2-UF-3 acrylic (seems to be about 100% more than OP3/UF-5). And then I see there is something called Tru-vue which has multiple options and seems to be the ne plus ultra of glazing, and very expensive. And "Groglass" which makes an anti-reflective glass product, and may enter the plastics arena in the future (or has already??) with a product to compete with Tru-vue Optimum Museum Acrylic (UV and anti-reflective). This article was helpful: http://cacaoeditions.com/anti-reflectio ... ing-glass/

There may be other choices that I am not aware of. I'd be interested in hearing from others. (By analogy, yes, if I were wealthy I'd buy a $200,000+ audio system, but my experience is that I (my ears only) can get 90-95% of that quality for 1/10 the price or much less.) I'm sure this is a topic that has been discussed at enormous length in many places already. I'm in the learning stages. I will check this forum, and buy some samples, and if anyone knows of a particular link, that would be great. I'll check back in with my 2 cents once I get some experience. Bob

Re: Hello! Learning about acrylic glazing -- UV, AR, etc.

Posted: Sun 01 Jul, 2018 7:06 am
by prospero
Hi and Welcome ltlredwagon. :D

Yes it's a complicated subject. You might glean more detailed information here: http://www.thegrumble.com/index.php
The Grumble is a US-based framer's forum and there are a lot of 'old hands' there who have vast knowledge on the subject.

That's not to say that UK framers don't use it, but such stuff is not quite so widely used in the UK and it does tend to be expensive.

** An 8x4' sheet of TruVue Museum acrylic in the UK costs about the same as a reasonably good used car. :shock:

Re: Hello! Learning about acrylic glazing -- UV, AR, etc.

Posted: Sun 01 Jul, 2018 10:54 am
by poliopete
Welcome to the Framers Forum Bob from the sunny UK :D

Peter

Re: Hello! Learning about acrylic glazing -- UV, AR, etc.

Posted: Mon 02 Jul, 2018 6:19 pm
by ltlredwagon
Thanks Prospero! I'll check out The Grumble. Received an email back from GroGlass. They say maybe we will get their acrylic product in the U.S. next year.

Re: Hello! Learning about acrylic glazing -- UV, AR, etc.

Posted: Tue 03 Jul, 2018 12:55 pm
by David McCormack
Hello and welcome :D
Just worked out what mom-n-pop store means... mum & dad shop :Slap:

What's your reason for wanting to use acrylic glazing?

When you say you like archival are you referring to the UV absorbing properties? Using glass will be a cheaper option but you will still get all the properties you could want from museum grade glazing... UV protection, anti-reflective and good clarity. Of course glass will be heavier but not really a problem for 20x16's.

Groglass Artglass products are very good.

Re: Hello! Learning about acrylic glazing -- UV, AR, etc.

Posted: Tue 03 Jul, 2018 5:36 pm
by ltlredwagon
Thanks David. My post was not entirely clear. I usually print images at about 16 X 20 (the Epson 3880 will do 17 X 22 and wider), so matted size is roughly 22 X 26 or more with a weighted bottom. But you are right, even at that size glass is workable. I think I've been biased against glass, maybe from a few moving experiences, but you've got me looking at it again and I'm not sure I'm being rational. And I've read great things about Artglass. There is a dealer nearby, so I will probably check it out.

Re: Hello! Learning about acrylic glazing -- UV, AR, etc.

Posted: Wed 04 Jul, 2018 9:30 am
by prospero
There are caveats with acrylic glazing. It's not as rigid as glass and although it's lighter, generally on huge jobs
where the acrylic is not in contact with the art you need to use up to 6mm thick. This negates any weight advantage.
It also needs plenty of 'elbow room' in the frame as it can expand/contract quite a lot.

People do tend to get a bit windy about large sheets of glass. OK, if it shatters it's nasty. But barring impact damage glass
is quite hard to break. The things to beware of are bumps inside the frame rebate that create stress points and chips on the glass
edge that are essentially starts of cracks. Glass will flex quite a lot but if it isn't perfectly flat it is under constant, if small, stress.
In this state sudden shock will crack it. And it needs to be slightly loose in the frame so any knocks the frame gets are not transfered
though to the glass.

I would happily use a 6x4' sheet of 2mm glass in a frame providing all these issues were addressed. :D

The exception is when a frame is hung in a public place where heath and safety regs apply. That's a different story though.... :roll:

Re: Hello! Learning about acrylic glazing -- UV, AR, etc.

Posted: Wed 04 Jul, 2018 8:45 pm
by ltlredwagon
Thanks Prospero! You and David have me leaning towards glass. I'll check it out!