best glazing opinions sought

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Rebecca

Rebecca

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Feb 28, 2002
Posts
3,338
Loc
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
I bit the bullet and got a beautiful 36" x 36" photo that I'm getting framed next week. We have new windows that filter out most of the UV, so I'm not going to worry about that too much, but I am worried about reflection. It will be hung at right angles to large window, and present piece hung there is often invisible due to glare.

Let the opinions pour in!

Thanks,

Rebecca
 
Hi Rebecca,

I would also recommend museum glass if you can afford the price.

Have you seen the Tru-Vue museum demo that they send out to frameshops? It is the one with the black background and the bright gold braid mounted to it. That will show you first hand the benefits of museum glass as far as glare and true color within the frame package is concerned.

Framerguy
 
Canvas transfer with Seal face laminate with 80% UV block... and no glare what so ever.

We are doing more and more... as people's homes fill up with "glass".
 
It might get pretty big if you mat it. May I suggest plexi?

Be sure it does not direct sunlight. Even UV blocking glazing offers little protection when intense visible light shines on it.

Is this a test?

John
 
No John, it's not a test. :D

I am now a consumer! The print is not a one off, (although it is at present) it can always be reproduced with my VEWRY expensive scan. So all things considered, it is a decorative piece. I am actually thinking spacers rather than mat. I have been thinking Museum. If it fades, and I still like it in X amount of years I can always get another, so present delight is more important than future despair.

I'm guessing from what I've learned here that the Museum glass will look better than Plexi in the display situation I have? And I just have to promise to be careful if I go Museum, and deal with reality if worse comes to worst?

R
 
Rebecca, We just did some c-prints and some inkjet output photographs, and I gotta go with Baer on this one. We used a matte laminate on the c-print with outstanding results. Used 3/16" Gatorfoam substrate.
There are limitations on the effectiveness of the Museum glass, and I believe the angle of the light can't be more than 30 degrees from perpendicular to the face. If the light is coming in at 45 degrees (half the 90 degree angle of the windows) you will still be getting a considerable amount of reflection.
Your framer should have samples of both the laminate and the Museum glass that you can take home and hold in place to see which works best for you.
 
So the laminate goes right over the face of the photo? It acts as a "varnish" so the photo doesn't have to be glazed? Does it affect the look? Whole new concept for me, so will require bending my brain a bit!

Rebecca
 
True-Guard comes in satin finish, matte, canvas and shiny, and is laminated directly to the photo/art. The piece is dry-mounted first, then put back through the heat press to laminate. The finish is great, lightweight, and uv protecting. Drawback is that it's permanent, doesn't protect it from flying objects (dents, dings, etc) but can be wiped off with a damp cloth for dust, fingerprints, champagne spash, etc.
Depending on the finish of the photo you might try a small sample of the photo first, in each of the laminates and see which one works best before you do the real thing.
 
It becomes one with the photo. Doesn't provide any physical protection.
The kind I used was applied with a cold roller press at a place that specializes in mounting and laminating, though I have done it in-house with laminate film from Drytac and my vaccuum heat press. Once applied the surface can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
The laminate bonds to the emulsion and the new finish is whatever the laminat is. It comes in a variety from high gloss to matte.
There is no further glazing required. The pieces we did were framed in a custom painted liner frame and a maple outer frame. The client is the photographer and wanted to be able to easily change out the work. The laminate meant that he wouldn't have to handle glass when swapping out photos.
There's got to be some place in Van-Cool-Ver
thumbsup.gif
that does this kind of laminating.
 
I second Wally and Baer's comments. We're doing more and more laminates. We just started using DryTac's laminates instead of the Seal/Hunt/Bienfang/Elmers Brand. Lower temperature and we prefer the finishes. The sand texture is my preference to the regular matte or satin finish. Canvas texture also is very popular. I believe that the UV filtering on both manufacturer's is actually in the 98-99% claims.

Then frame as you would a canvas with a fabric wrapped liner and moulding.
 
I think ColorPlak is using Drytack and the last wash before being wrapped up, is acetone.

It also withstood the test of industrial sterilization cleaner used by the CDC. So we know that plague won't survive on it either... :D

Or you can spend the bucks for Museum. Your choice Rebecca.
 
Van-cool-ver??!! Cause we're hip and happening or cause it's bloody cold here today? :cool:

I have to say this was not something that was even on my radar, but I'm going to look into it so I can see all the different textures available. I would probably want something that looked as close to the original as possible, but who knows, one I see them maybe that will change too.

BTW, I have the glass samples up in the target area and so far Museum is the best for that situation.

It would be interesting to compare the Denglas waterwhite to the Museum. I'll see if I can get a scrap.

Thanks for all your help.

Rebecca
 
I think you also need to consider the image, if it is light or dark. If you go with a reflective glass of whatever type on anything dark, you will just see you looking back at yourself. Lighter images aren't as bad. I also really like to consider what everything else is framed in in my house...I like them all the same, and I prefer reflective glass...except on dark images. But that's just me...
 
what about non-glare OP3 plexi? Use that quite a bit. It would be "whiter" than glass, reduce your glare and still have UV properties. By the bye--our house windows have a 3M film on them that reduces UV by about 75% and IR by about the same: but it's the other 25% I'm concerned with.
 
Gee Mike, if your windows reduce the UV by 75%, and Museum reduces by 98%... does that me you can only see your art by the heat if gives off?? :D
 
One of the local photographers I work with is having his photos mounted to either acrylic or aluminum and then having op-3 acrylic bonded to the emulsion. A strainer is hot glued to the back making for a truly frameless presentation.
He brought in a few samples of what he was considering with different substrates and different thicknesses of the face acrylic. He also brought in one with non-glare acrylic. The whole concept worked very well with the kind of work he is doing, but I can see other applications possible.
The company is in California, and I can get the contact info for anyone interested.
 
Yes Wally, I'd be very interested in learning more about this. Would it only work with a true photograph or would ink-jet work too? I got my piece and it is an ink jet, not a photo and am going to go the mount and lamination route as the paper is way too thin to be safely handled otherwise.

I'm also stopping by the printers to learn more about the process, as they do the scan, print and mount themselfes.

Rebecca
 
I believe the lamination to be pressure sensitive, so the kind of photo it is might not be relevant. Will get the info posted ASAP.
 
Sorry it took so long...

General Graphics Exhibits
695 Minnesota Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Voice (415)641-3640
Fax (415)641-3660

Contact: Brenda Bennett
email brenda@gge.com
 
I've been using heat activated PVC laminates for years, mostly linen finish and some canvas finish. The Seal products need to be perforated for photos, but do well as-is on porous papers. PrintMount "Laminac" is 3.5 mil pre-perforated PVC.

There is some UV-filtering quality to these films, but I've never seen one that could compete with glass or acrylic in that regard. I think it's probably more like 60% or 70% UV-filtering, but I'm not sure. If anyone knows for sure, please share the information.

The laminated surface does offer some mechanical protection from scratches & abrasions, and it is cleanable with a damp cloth -- but don't soak it. Anything that could penetrate the 3.5 mil PVC film would damage the image.

And, by the way, Tru-Vue Museum Glass and AR are both low-iron, Guardian "Ultra-Clear" glass products. They are not completely water-white, but close enough that I doubt anyone could discern a difference.

The Denglas water-white mentioned above is not a 98% UV-filtering glass, but more like 75% - 80% as I recall from the specifications.
 
Hi Rebecca

If you call Cloudburst in Coquitlam and ask for Gavin, he will answer all your questions. He's very good. 1-800-599-9817 or (604)552-0606.

Marie
 
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