Glazing Products

Gallagher & Turner are pleased to offer a range of materials that you may wish to consider as an alternative to good quality plain glass:

The factors which may determine your choice of glazing will be three-fold. The primary factor is always about protection, i.e. conservation, and glass which can cut out the harmful ultraviolet (U.V.) light will help to conserve artworks, retaining colour values and preventing accelerated deterioration of the piece. 

Conservation glazing that will cut out up to over 97% of UV light can be provided with:

1.  Standard coated clear glass.  This has a film covering the surface on the inside and therefore is as easy to clean as plain glass.
2.  Museum quality reflection control water white clear coated glass is an excellent product:
 http://www.schott.com/uk/english/download/mirogard_e_rd.pdf
shows how the coating works on both museum and standard coated glass.

The anti-reflective and U.V. blocking layers work together to block U.V. rays up to 97- 99% whilst countering reflection, and remaining fabulously colour true, where standard plain and coated glass will have a slight green colour cast.  The surface is durable, but should always be cleaned with a non abrasive cleaner and a soft, clean cloth.
3.   'Artshield' scratch resistant clear acrylic, and other good quality acrylics offer excellent U.V. light protection also.

Reflection:  the secondary, but also important factor in which choice of glass to use, is aesthetic.  Being able to reduce the reflection created on the surface of the glass allows colours to glow, subtleties and textures to stand out and can vastly improve the long term enjoyment offered by framed pictures and artefacts.  It is well worth the extra investment.

1. Reflection control coated clear glass will reduce reflection at 90 degrees to less than 1%, and will improve U.V. light filtering to 70% (plain glass is around 45%).  A coating of oxides deposited onto the glass works to reduce reflection by counteracting and thereby 'flattening' the light rays as they bounce back off the surface. It also boasts true colour transmission, and gives a stunning effect of clarity:
http://www.schott.com/uk/english/download/mirogard_e_rd.pdf for more details.
2.  Museum quality reflection control water white clear coated glass is also a near invisible glass as above, which will protect the work as well as eliminate reflections.  Both of the above types of glass are superb glazing for mixed media works with texture, unvarnished oils, charcoals, fabrics etc as the quality of the surface remains vibrant and clear
3.  Diffused glass with an etched surface remains a budget option, excellent on fabrics, for example, where conservation is not an issue, but not recommended in any framing combination which requires the glass to be raised away from the surface of the work.  It can be slightly dulling.

Protection from breakage: glazing a large piece or placing a work in a public or busy area may require toughened glazing or acrylic.  As one would not have internal glazed doors without toughened glass, a similar safety hazard applies to especially large glazed artworks.

1.  Artshield acrylic is a high quality clear material developed specifically for fine art applications.  It is extremely resistant to surface damage, and has a good U.V. filter. The other advantage to acrylic is its lightness, especially significant for larger frames.
2.  Standard high quality clear acrylic in varying thicknesses looks excellent also.
3.  Laminated glass for larger options is available.  It can come with an anti-reflective, U.V. coating, but can be thicker than standard glass and therefore heavier.

Gallagher & Turner will be pleased to discuss options with you and quote prices. 

Illustrations: University Gallery, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne.