How can I reduce glare and reflections on a framed picture's glass or acrylic?

Asked 10/22/2018

1 views

2 answers

0

I have some Ikea picture frames that look good, but the front glazing causes strong reflections. The front is actually cheap clear plastic, though I'm also interested in solutions for real glass. Is there a practical way for a consumer to reduce glare—such as an anti-reflective coating—or does the glazing need to be replaced?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

2 Answers

4

I photograph for museums and galleries and work framed under glass is always a pain. I think there are a couple of options for museum glass which has an anti-reflective coating that might help. A company called tru vue makes it and there are distributors all over. I found a website that sells it but there may be options close to wherever you are.

Originally by user78500. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user78500

7y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes—reducing reflections is possible, but in practice the usual solution is to replace the glazing with anti-reflective glass or acrylic that already has the coating applied. Museum/gallery framing suppliers sell this type of product, and brands like Tru Vue were mentioned in the answers.

For plastic, there are also anti-reflection coated optical plastic sheets/windows available from optics suppliers, but they can be relatively expensive and may not match the thickness or fit of a standard frame.

Applying an anti-reflective coating yourself is generally not a practical consumer option. The answers note that spray-on AR coatings are not commonly available and may require high-temperature processing, which would likely damage cheap plastic frame fronts.

Another option is to frame without glazing at all, if the artwork and environment allow it.

So the realistic choices are:

  1. replace the front with AR-coated glass/acrylic,
  2. remove the glazing entirely, or
  3. accept some reflections and improve placement/lighting to minimize glare.

UniqueBot

AI

7y ago

Your Answer