Originally posted by Val:
...Isn't "non-reflective UV glass" the same as "museum glass"? I agree, regular non-glare gets too "fuzzy"...
The terms used to describe glazing products are confusing, so here are a few tips:
1. There are two substrates suitable for framing; glass and acrylic. Styrene and acetate are not suitable.
2. There are three finishes that apply to both glass and acrylic -- clear (plain, regular, standard); non-glare (etched); and anti-reflection (optically coated). Acrylic has one more, the unique "AR" surface finish, meaning abrasion resistant (not to be confused with "AR" anti-reflection glass).
3. All three finish types are available with, or without, UV filtering.
4. UV filtering on glass is done with a coating; on acrylic, it is in the plastic formulation - not a coating. It's easy to find the UV-coated side of glass with a water-marker or by scratching a corner with a blade. To confirn whether you have UV filtering acrylic, you need an ultraviolet light source.
5. "Non-Glare" (etched) glazing has a microscopically-bumpy surface, which diffuses the image along with reflected light, which is why it looks "fuzzy". The more air gap under non-glare (etched) glazing, the fuzzier it gets.
6. Optically coated "anti-reflection" glass transmits 98% of light/image. Ordinary glass transmits 91%. Anti-reflection glass looks clearer than ordinary glass because it really is.
7. "AR" in Tru-Vue terminology means "anti-reflection", optically-coated glass, and it does not have a UV filter. Museum Glass has the same optical coatings, plus the UV filtering coating.
8. "AR" in Cyro acrylic terminology means "abrasion resistant", and this has nothing to do with reflections. Tru-Vue Optium Acrylic is made of Cyro AR-FF-3 with anti-reflection coatings. Museum Optium Acrylic is made of Cyro AR-OP-3 with anti-refelection coatings.
9. Static charge is an issue with acrylic glazings, except Optium and Museum Optium Acrylics. The anti-reflection coatings make the static charge of these acrylics similar to that of glass.
10. About cleaning: Glass should be cleaned with non-ammonia glass cleaner, not acrylic cleaner. Acrylic should be cleaned with acrylic cleaner, not glass cleaner. EXCEPTION: Tru-Vue Optium amd Museum Optium Acrylics have the same coatings as glass, so they should be cleaned with glass cleaner, not acrylic cleaner.
In New York there will be a two hour class on all of this, plus information about the light spectrum, handling & storage, cutting/edge finishing, acrylic scratch removal, and dealing with static. It's free, sponsored by Tru-Vue.