Glassless photo framing - yea or nay (Page 2): You need to buy yourself a feather duster. Use it once or twice a week, and you will be amazed by what it can do.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Szalajj wrote:

Think dust, dirt, grease, & grime.

I work in an old converted factory building, and the sheer volume of dust & grime in my office is uncontrollable.

At home, I live just off of a commuter and shopper route, in addition to having a cat with a litter box in a one bedroom condo.

The dust and grime are just too heavy at either location to allow for glassless display of any pictures.

You need to buy yourself a feather duster. Use it once or twice a week, and you will be amazed by what it can do.

Collie lover Loc: St. Louis, MO

If I print on rag paper to get the look of a painting, I don't use glass.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

jerrypoller wrote:

I line the walls of my small home office with fami... (show quote)

Sure you can do that, but the glass keeps dust off the surface of the photograph. If you don't care about having to occasionally clean dust off the image surface, go right ahead.

Considering that you are only displaying these for yourself, apparently, expensive glass isn't necessary. The local hardware store would be the best source for glass.
--Bob

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Since you rotate your display, and you can always print another, try them without glass. If you don't like the way they look, you can just put the glass back in.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

jerrypoller wrote:

...snip... I was watching a video tutorial the other day which included a segment on displaying printed photos. The expert recommended museum glass for the best, non glare results, but did caution that museum glass is very expensive.
I print on a Canon Pixma 970 dye based inkjet printer - I don't worry about the archival quality of my photos because I update them a few times a year (the grandchildren grow like weeds). ...snip...

The beauty of displaying photos for which you have the "negative" or file, is that if it changes colour in your environment, or starts to sag, or curl, or get outdated, for very little money you can print or have printed, another one.
I have cross-stitch work framed and hanging on the wall - no way would I want that without the protection of museum quality glass. Ditto for an original aquarel, done by my uncle.

All the items I have framed, have spacers so that the glass does not touch the embroidery, aquarel, etc. Especially for photos this is important: if the photo touches the glass, it won't take very long or the glass and photo stick together! Then try and separate them...

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

The spray suggested earlier is the way to go. Years ago when I was in business I sprayed every portrait I delivered to my customers and told them it was unnecessary to put glass over them unless there was a real scratch potential. I did a large bridal portrait one time for a customer and while on display during the outdoor reception it was placed under a tree. Birds roosted in the tree and they brought it in to me with a huge white runny splotch and feared that it was destroyed. Five minutes later I had wiped it clean with no trace to be seen. One very happy customer left my studio that day. This is why I would use the spray on any print I wanted to protect. I don't remember the brand but I think it was made by Scott but there were several brands available in those days some 25 years ago.

Mark7829 Loc: Calfornia

jerrypoller wrote:

I line the walls of my small home office with fami... (show quote)

Yes, museum glass is expensive but it is sculpted glass, treated in a special way to actually make you images even pop more from every angle. Non-reflective, UV protected glass is the next best thing - Hobby Lobby has a daily 40% off coupon. I use it just to purchase one pane of glass here and there and sometime I just go in and use it to build a little inventory.

jerrypoller Loc: Huntington, NY

jerryc41 wrote:

Since you rotate your display, and you can always print another, try them without glass. If you don't like the way they look, you can just put the glass back in.

My thought exactly, Jerry. But I am liking the look so far (and my swiffer is always at the ready).

jerrypoller Loc: Huntington, NY

Mark7829 wrote:

Yes, museum glass is expensive but it is sculpted glass, treated in a special way to actually make you images even pop more from every angle. Non-reflective, UV protected glass is the next best thing - Hobby Lobby has a daily 40% off coupon. I use it just to purchase one pane of glass here and there and sometime I just go in and use it to build a little inventory.

Thanks, I'll be on the lookout for the Hobby Lobby glass sales too.

jerrypoller Loc: Huntington, NY

MCHUGH wrote:

The spray suggested earlier is the way to go. Yea... (show quote)

I'm convinced it's worth a try - I'll probably do half of my prints this way and leave the other half un-sprayed to see how they differ. Thanks.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Aside from the issues with UV fading the dyes in those prints, I don't see any disadvantages. There are both matte and gloss UV protectant photo sprays if you feel the need, although they tend to dull the contrast a bit.

Personally, if I'm going to print for someone else, I want to make pigmented inkjet prints. I let them "outgas" under blank newsprint for 24 to 48 hours. Then I have them matted and mounted under glass, using acid-free materials, or I recommend that the client have that done.

If I print on canvas, it always gets to "outgas" for a couple of days, then gets sprayed with a UV protectant. I don't like to frame canvas under glass.

jerrypoller wrote:

I line the walls of my small home office with fami... (show quote)

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Mark7829 wrote:

Yes, museum glass is expensive but it is sculpted glass, treated in a special way to actually make you images even pop more from every angle. Non-reflective, UV protected glass is the next best thing - Hobby Lobby has a daily 40% off coupon. I use it just to purchase one pane of glass here and there and sometime I just go in and use it to build a little inventory.

Thanks for the tip, Mark! I would never have thought to buy glass at Hobby Lobby, and I live 5 miles from a big one.

RRS Loc: Not sure

jerrypoller wrote:

I line the walls of my small home office with fami... (show quote)

At one time all my works were under glass, then came non-glare glass but it took away from the print. Museum glass is very expensive but I really liked my canvas mounts. The lab that I have been with for over 30 years suggested trying art paper to print on. I have the prints mounted on gator board and framed at a local framing shop, no glass at all. We do place the prints up where the sun doesn't hit them and so far it seems to work just fine. Not cheap, a 14x19 from start to finish runs about $140, well worth it. My children and grandchildren all have a choice of $$ or prints for Christmas and although it costs more they have all been choosing prints for years now. True, I do have more canvas prints out there but the artsy paper framed prints are beginning to take off.

Nisolow

Try the styrene mounted photos from Adoramapix. They are cheap and great for informal wall mounting with foam double sticky tape. They can be swapped out at will.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

Photographer Jim wrote:

Or use a mat to keep the print off of the glass

Using a mat (or matte) also has the advantage of a much more attractive presentation. >>>AL