Picture Framing Glass Types: How to Choose the Right Glazing

Every frame is an argument between two goals: show the artwork and protect it. Glazing sits exactly at that intersection — it is the only layer the viewer looks through, and the only barrier between the work and light, dust and accidents. Choose well and the glass disappears; choose poorly and your customer sees a mirror of their own window, while ultraviolet light quietly fades the piece year after year.

The good news is that the choice is simpler than the range of names suggests. Every glazing option answers three questions: how much light it reflects, how much UV it blocks, and what happens if it breaks. Here is the whole map, in the order we walk customers through it at our own counter.

Regular float glass: the baseline

Regular picture glass is plain float glass. When light hits it, about 8% bounces back as reflections — enough to put a bright mirror image between the viewer and the artwork in most rooms. It transmits roughly 89–90% of visible light and blocks only 20–45% of ultraviolet light, which means 55–80% of the UV in daylight passes straight through to the artwork. The damage that causes — fading, yellowing, brittle paper — is cumulative and irreversible.

That does not make regular glass useless. For inexpensive, replaceable prints hung away from bright light, it does the basic job. But it sets the baseline every other option improves on: ~8% reflection, minimal UV protection.

The first attempted fix you will meet is etched “non-glare” glass. Its matte surface scatters that ~8% of reflected light instead of removing it, which trades the mirror effect for a permanent slight haze — and the deeper the frame, the softer the artwork appears. The granular surface is also harder to clean, and UV protection stays at the regular-glass level. We compare the two approaches properly in anti-reflective vs non-glare glass.

Anti-reflective coatings: removing reflections properly

Anti-reflective (AR) glass takes the opposite approach. Instead of roughening the surface, microscopically thin metal-oxide layers are sputtered onto both sides of the glass, manipulating light waves so they pass through to the artwork instead of bouncing back. Reflection drops from ~8% to around 1%, light transmission climbs to ~98%, and the surface stays perfectly smooth — sharp at any frame depth, and as easy to keep clean as regular glass (see cleaning and handling).

Physics does not allow completely invisible glass, so a faint residual reflection always remains: neutral green on most Artglass products, ocean-blue on AR 92. In practice that tint is how you recognise coated glass — tilt the sheet and look for a soft, uniform colour instead of a mirror.

Within the range, Artglass AR 70 is the accessible entry point — the upgrade most customers notice instantly — while AR 92 adds elevated UV protection for photography and prints. Both cut with regular tools, from either side, exactly like float glass; illustrated guidelines are free on our downloads page.

Water white: the substrate under the coating

Coatings are only half the optical story. Standard float glass contains iron, which gives it a faint green tint; low-iron glass — “water white” — removes it, so whites and light colours show without any colour cast. The Artglass anti-reflective range is built on low-iron substrates; AR 99 Water White carries the premium low-iron (water white) designation and is the clearest museum-grade glass on the market.

UV protection: a separate decision

Here is the point we see mixed up most often: reflection control and UV protection are independent axes. You can have either without the other — or both.

Artglass UV protection comes in three tiers. Above 70% (AR 70) is basic protection — a significant upgrade over regular glazing, suitable for reproducible artworks and photographs. Around 92% (AR 92) is elevated protection, significantly lengthening the lifespan of framed work in controlled-light environments. And 99% is conservation grade — the professional standard, certified to EN 410 by the National Physical Laboratory in the UK, and the level we recommend for anything that cannot be reprinted. Our UV protection guide covers the tiers in depth.

Proof that the axes really are separate: Artglass UV 99 looks and handles exactly like regular glass — the same ~8% reflection — yet blocks 99% of UV light. It is the accessible way to add conservation-grade fade protection to everyday framing. At the opposite corner, AR 99 Water White combines under 1% reflection with the full 99% UV block: both axes at maximum, which is what museum-grade means in practice.

Laminated safety glazing

Some walls demand a third property: a safe outcome when the glass breaks. Artglass AR 99 Protect is two sheets of anti-reflective low-iron glass bonded with a PVB interlayer — the same principle as a car windscreen. If it ever breaks, the shards stay held on the film instead of falling onto, or cutting into, the artwork. The lamination also raises UV protection up to 100%, while reflection stays below 1%. It is the choice for museums, high-traffic public spaces, travelling exhibitions and seismic zones, in formats up to 2250 × 3210 mm.

The honest word on acrylic

Acrylic — what most people call plexiglass — deserves one straight paragraph. It wins on two physical facts: it is roughly half the weight of glass, and it will not shatter, which is decisive for monumental formats, artwork that ships, and children’s rooms. Ordinary acrylic pays for that with easy scratching, static and eventual haze; hard-coated Lifetime Acrylic is engineered to avoid all three while matching the optics of the best AR glass. Glass keeps the harder surface and the lower cost per square metre. The full comparison is at acrylic vs glass, and Lifetime Acrylic can be ordered online in any quantity, even a single sheet.

Matching the glazing to the job

The job in front of you	Glazing type	Artglass product
Everyday framing, upgraded from regular glass	Anti-reflective, basic UV	AR 70
Photography and prints in true colour	Anti-reflective, elevated UV	AR 92
Fade protection where reflections are managed	UV-protective float glass	UV 99
Originals, watercolours, the irreplaceable	Museum-grade anti-reflective	AR 99 Water White
Public walls, museums, travelling shows	Laminated safety glazing	AR 99 Protect
Large formats, shipping, weight limits	Museum-grade acrylic	Lifetime Acrylic

If you want it even shorter, this is how we decide at the counter:

• Family photos and posters. AR 70 as the default upgrade; UV 99 when fading worries you more than reflections do.
• Limited editions and fine photography. AR 92 — and step up to a 99% UV product the moment the work cannot be reprinted.
• Irreplaceable originals. AR 99 Water White, without much debate.
• Public and high-traffic spaces. AR 99 Protect where glass belongs on the wall; Lifetime Acrylic where weight or shipping rules glass out.

Once you know the type, the remaining questions are sizes and quantities. Standard sheets sell by the box of two, which is the point where most framers hesitate — so if you are wondering what a box actually gets you, put your sizes into the free cut list optimiser. It works out how many sheets the job needs, how to cut them, and what the offcuts still cover. Then build your list in the glass quote builder — we will come back with exact pricing within one business day, cut-to-size or in standard sheets, delivered across the EU.