Unclear about Extra Clear Tru Vue Glass

Rick Granick

Rick Granick

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
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What's the deal with the new Tru Vue Etra Clear glass? Their marketing calls it a low-iron substrate, in Museum, AR, and Conservation Clear types. Ok so far. But, do they mean these are new products in addition to the ones on "green" glass; or, are they now using this new substrate for all of the above glass types? The marketing materials don't make clear whether this is brand proliferation or value-added product improvement. Even my distributor's rep did not know the answer to this question.

Guess it's like the pizza box that says "Made with 100% Real Cheese"...Is all the cheese real, or is some of it "100% real"?

kaffeetrinker_2.gif
Rick
 
TruVue has/had a line of waterwhite (low or no iron) glazing called Ultra Clear. It was available in clear regular and conservation as far as I know (possibly in non-glare), but not in the A/R or Museum.
From what I understand there is some kind of problem in coating the low iron glass with the A/R treatment which precludes it being used for these kinds of products.
I have used the Ultra Conservation Clear for some large black and white photos and it worked well, though I was a bit concerned about the thinness of the glass (2.0mm in 40 x 60) and the relative softness (guess the iron makes it tougher). I have since opted to use the OP-3 Acrylic when a colorless glazing is required.
 
Originally posted by Rick Granick:
What's the deal with the new Tru Vue Etra Clear glass?
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Where did you hear about "Extra Clear", Rick? I picked up the "latest" TruVue Glass & Acrylic Glazing Catalog for Picture Framing at the WCAF Show. It lists only the following glass products:

Museum Glass
True Vue AR Reflection Free
Conservation Perfect Vue
Perfect Vue
Conservation Reflection Control
Reflection Control
Conservation Clear
Premium Clear

Their Specifier used to include a product called Ultra Clear & Conservation Ultra Clear, but the distributor I checked with says they don't make that anymore.
 
I talked to someone from TruVue, and he explained to me that ALL of their products are now being made with a lower-iron glass that is clearer and has less of a green cast. It is NOT water-white, or low-iron glass, which is what the Ultra-Clear products were made with.

So in other words, it's a little bit clearer than what they used to use, but it's not quite as clear as water white, or as brittle or expensive.

Is that clear now?
 
Oh, noooooo. These terms are getting loopy. In Atlanta, the TV reps were saying that all glass was to be water-white based, no matter the "toppings." I asked for clarification about green tint: answer was: no green tint, it's water-white. Fudging now? Probably. That old devil in the details thing.
 
Thanks, FramerDave. That's about what I suspected. So it is basically a value-added improvement to the existing products. That's good. I was afraid they were just piling on new options. Not only would that be just too confusing, but it burdens distributors with having to carry and stock more and more essentially similar products.
Haven't seen any of the new versions come "down the pipeline" yet. Guess the distributors are selling through their older stock first.
:cool: Rick
Still gotta wonder about the pizza, though.
 
According to the postcard that came yesterday, Tru-Vue is announcing that Conservation Clear, Anti-Reflective (AR), and Museum Glass will soon be manufactured with low-iron glass. It's good news.

I called Tru-Vue and got more information today. This is an upgrade of three Tru-vue products we all use, and no price increase will result from this change. These are not new products, but improvements to existing. The new glass will be Guardian's "Extra Clear", with the usual Tru-Vue coatings.

Tru-Vue will be shipping the improved glass sometime around April, but it will be some time (months?) before it permeates the distribution pipeline. No change in nomenclature.

I have not heard that they ever plan to make ALL of their glass that way -- the announcement is for only the three products.

MerpsMom, the green tint comes from the high iron content of the glass, not the coatings. Reducing iron content reduces the green tint. Less iron means less green tint. I don't know if this Tru-Vue improvement goes all the way to "Water White" (the announcement does not use that term), but it will be better than the former products made of high-iron glass.
 
Less iron means less green tint.
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You rang?

Yes, this is good news. What is the relationship between Guardian and TV?

TIA

your bud,
Less
 
Less:

So did you ever take the Framer's Select sticker off your door?
 
In LV, Tru-Vue told me that the new low iron glass is already in the pipeline and the way to tell is if the box is sealed with clear boxing tape, it's the regular product.

If it's sealed with Blue boxing tape, it's the new low iron product. I was also told that only premium series glass will be low iron, meaning that regular premium clear and regular reflection control will remain the green glass.

I have noticed that the boxes we receive are sealed with blue tape.
 
Rick, New box of 16x20. Blue sealing tape. Same stupid little white sticker that I hate saying score other side, and same green.

But I have some old Guardian that is water white....

I give up. I'm just gonna stock Museum like Kirsten Ling....."If you just spent $300 on framing, wouldn't you want to see your artwork?"
 
Hmmmm, must have been a typical sales person talking to me... you never know who to trust. He did have a Tru-Vue shirt on though. What "white sticker" are you talking about? All I've ever seen is the black printing that says, score other side. To be honest, it didn't look much different; but then it will be 20% thicker than the Guardian product.

Can't get Guardian here... easily, that is.
 
It's a little ovalated sticker that says, score other side. It is on all of my 16x20s and 1/3 of the 22x28s. Irritates the heck out of me.
Dang thing is about the size of what you left behind of that pot-sticker the other night, maybe a little bigger.... :D
 
Originally posted by Baer Charlton:
Rick, New box of 16x20. Blue sealing tape. Same stupid little white sticker that I hate saying score other side, and same green.
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Baer, lay off the sticker! How else would you have them designate which side to score after they've cut off the printing to make the smaller panes? I actually like the stickers as they are easier to take off the glass than the ink is!

But I have some old Guardian that is water white....
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Does the new glass have a blue film on it like the guardian glass? I liked the glass, although it was thinner. The film didn't bother me as much as the glass seemed to love the oils on my hand and tended to show it off after I had cleaned it!? Oh well, another excuse to wear those cotton gloves I bought!

I was told that all TV glass would be the lower iron glass, has the price spiked way up yet?
 
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