Thursday, January 31, 2013

Choosing Between Regular Glass And Plexiglass In Framing Affordable Framed Artwork

By Ethel Harris


art lovers wishing to purchase pieces of affordable framed artwork have to go through the rigors of selecting frames for them. Plexiglass and regular museum glass are some of the most widely used frames for works of art. Generally, art lovers have conflicting opinions on which materials to use in framing. However, each framing material has its own advantages and disadvantages for the buyer to consider.

Historically, the most uninhibited and clear viewing of works of art have been provided by glass. However, it has faced stiff competition from plexiglass, which has come a long way over the last several years or so, by now becoming the industry standard. The clearest view of underneath the work of art has for a long time been provided by museum grade glass. It is a great option for the framing needs of an art collector, as it has easily attainable UV-filtering options.

Since plexiglass came into the market, it has evolved over the years to the extent that it offers all the benefits that are found in glass, plus even more features. Protection from harmful rays that can destroy paintings, prints and photography that was once the mainstream of glass can now be found in plexiglass. In addition, plexiglass capable of providing a virtually glare-free viewing experience is now available for art lovers.

The most advanced form of Plexiglass can provide all the benefits museum glass dominated the market on. It is scratch resistant and anti-static, due to its anti-reflective surface capable of filtering between 50% and 75% of all UV rays, and is also a sound alternative. In comparison, glass is heavy and can easily break, with the thought of carrying around work of art made framed with glass not one many art lovers can entertain.

plexiglass, like any other material, has its own setbacks, in-spite of being light and unbreakable. Since it is a combustible material, the pieces of artwork that it can be used to frame it cannot be placed in a hot place or near fire flames. This means that such works have limited areas of storage or display. In addition, some measures have to betaken for their protection, such as lacing fire extinguishers near them.

The ease at which plexiglass can be scratched is another demerit. In spite of plexiglass being scratch resistant, scratches can still occur in them, especially due to movements of the artwork piece. Numerous artworks framed using plexiglass have scratches that have been gotten through moving it from place to place. However, when compared to the scratches that can be found in ordinary glass, those in plexiglass are much less.

It can be seen that plexiglass is the best material for framing pieces of art work, after a thorough comparison with ordinary museum glass. The most recommendable type of plexiglass is acrylite OP-3, which is widely used by most art lovers satisfied with its results. Moreover, it is sold at an affordable price, and its durability has been a critical advantage when compared with the lesser lasting glass.

A majority of the affordable framed artwork found in museums and art galleries are framed using plexiglass. This is a clear indication of the suitability and convenience of the material. Hence, art lovers will not have to waste a lot of time deciding with which material to cover their precious works of art.




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