Choosing a frame for photos: Glass vs Acrylic

 

If you are a photographer, print studio, signage producer or gallery then we understand making a decision about what type of material to use for your pictures and photos can take a surprising amount of time. One of the most common questions is whether to use glass or acrylic to frame the picture.
In this post we are going to run through all the points to consider before making a decision on which material to use.

 

Here at Adventa we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of choices to our customers so that they can find their perfect framing solution. Those choices can include a range of materials and sizes.

 

Before you select hastily there are a series of questions to ask yourself to evaluate which material to use – price alone is not a factor to base your decision on. We list a variety of aspects and benefits of glass and acrylic, and we lay out some pointers on making the best decision for which type of frame.

 

Strength & Durability Frame

 

First, understand the level of protection that you want you’re print to have. Is it a print that needs to hang for a really long time in an environment that might be too bright or warm? As your work may risk deteriorating due to exposure to temperature changes, humidity levels, UV radiation and even dirt and spills.

 

Acrylic has a higher impact strength than glass therefore a greater force is required to break it and if it does break that unlike glass it won’t shatter into lots of small pieces. Therefore Acrylic is usually better suited if you plan to do mail order or for Internet framing companies, because it usually will not break during shipping. Not to mention it will also reduce shipping costs as acrylic frames tend to weigh less than glass mounts.

 

At Adventa we tend to only go up to sizes 20 x 30” in both Glass Mounts and our Vision Wall Acrylic Frame range to help reduce the chance of shipping damage and expensive costs.

 

Many galleries and exhibitions would probably prefer acrylic to glass, because if glass breaks it can destroy rare artwork. Therefore even from a consumer point of view acrylic is safer for pieces hung in children’s rooms or where breezes from windows and doors may virabte the picture of its hook.

 

At the end of the day both acrylic and glass are capable of carrying out their duty of protecting the print and pictures for dirt and dust whilst also visually enhancing the aesthetics of the picture.

 

Our Glass Mount range unlike other glass frames uses toughened safety glass just like a car window screen to avoid the glass shattering. Whereas you will find acrylic has the benefit of being better UV protected which helps the pictures not fade and make them more visible in poor light therefore protecting photos and artwork, thus prolonging their life.

 

However the downside to acrylic is the cost, it often is more expensive than standard glass. The surface itself can also scratch easily so extra care isneeded when handling it and cleaning therefore we would also recommend using microfiber cloths. 

 

As acrylic is a flexible material it does mean that it may bow of bend over time though this does mean it is less likely to break than glass.

 

Picture Frame glass is most commonly used for inexpensive, off the shelf, ready-made frames because it is inexpensive. Watch out for how green the glass is though as it can affect the quality of the image. Our range of Glass Mount Wall Art combats that issue. 

 

The Aesthetics

 

You also don’t want to just think about the safety and strength of the frame, ultimately you would like it to enhance your work and therefore you want it to be visually and aesthetically attractive whilst also complimenting your pictures. Glass, unfortunately can be more susceptible to glare and thus the print will be obscured by light. However as we said acrylic can be more prone to scratching and can lower the value of your print.

 

Our Adventa Glass Wall Art has a contemporary and stylish black border which gives a smart look to pictures and also provides a nice frame. Whereas our Acrylic frames, VisionWall, are borderless so the acrylic gives the full attention to the picture and offsets it from the wall.

 

Summary

 

So there we have it an overview on which type of frame to select. Glass can give a more premium appearance and is more cost effective where as an Acrylic frame may provide added security and durability for your photos and pictures as well as being easier to send.

 

So if you now think you have made your decision why not check out our Glass Mount and Vision Wall ranges to see how they could be right for you. 

 

Glass Mount Range

 

Vision Wall Range 

 

You can also read our article on how our new exciting Glass Mount pro can be cleaned easily and can seal in the print for ever to protect dust, lint and liquid reaching the print.

 

To see Adventa’s full range of Wall Art frames, click here