Specialty Archival Acrylic Choices
Archival Glazing
Truly archival framing not only requires archival matboard, mountboard and archival attachments but UV protected glazing also.
Most people know that artwork should never be placed in direct sunlight. But what is also true is that ALL forms of light – either natural or artificial - contain UV rays that can do serious damage to artwork. Ordinary daylight coming in through windows has UV rays as do fluorescent lights and halogen bulbs. Even incandescent bulbs with 4% of their rays in the UV range can do harm.
UV damage usually manifests as faded colors - UV rays hasten the natural deterioration of matboard, paper, and fabric which results in yellowing and/or bleaching. Papers and fabrics can become brittle and photos may appear stained as silver deposits rise to the surface of the image.
UV Protective Glazing: Whether glass or acrylic, UV protective glazing is manufactured so that approximately 97-98% of the UV rays your artwork is exposed to are blocked. This protective glazing is as clear as regular glazing and doesn’t noticeably alter the color of the mat or the artwork.
Non-Glare Acrylic: Non-glare acrylic is available as well in either standard grade or with UV protection. Non-glare acrylic has a slight foggy quality which under normal circumstances only minimally alters the clarity of you artwork. However, we recommend against using reflection control glazing on artwork that sits away from the acrylic – as in shadow boxes or with triple mats. Clarity can be diminished if non-glare glazing is elevated off of the art.
