With the recent additions we have made to our glazing products, you may be asking which glazing option is your best bet? Interestingly enough, our staff were wondering the same thing. As a simple experiment our North Vancouver store staff created a display using both regular and Ultraviolet glass in a single frame with a bright sheet of red poster board. They hung this in their window to see what would happen. Well lo and behold, to their surprise, within only a few days the side framed with Ultraviolet glass showed a bright piece of paper, and the other side was fading faster than even they expected to see. It's easy to guess which glazing option they are going to recommend when you are in to frame your next artwork!

We wanted to share this story with you because it's a really good example of how we often learn about products at Opus—by experimentation. We like to share what we learn with one another, and in this particular case we thought you would be interested too. Can you imagine the effect that everyday light is having on your artwork if this is what it does to a plain sheet of board in the winter light of a North Vancouver day?

It is important to keep conservation in mind when you frame your art. We all know this is important, but we do not always see the dramatic difference that using museum or conservation materials can have on your artwork over time. It is often too late when we realize that we should have taken greater care when choosing our framing materials or storing our artwork.

Choosing the right glazing option is obviously an important decision then. Think of it like putting a good coat of sunscreen on before heading outside on a hot summer day. While the effects of sun may not be immediately visible, you still need to use the best protection or there will be permanent, and sometimes painful, damage.

Conservation Glazing available at Opus:

• Museum glass is our top artist-quality conservation glass. It combines the best features available in glazing materials: it is coated on both sides with a protective film for superior UV protection, and it features anti-reflective qualities so that the colours and textures in your artwork will be displayed at their very best. This is your choice when you want to see your art at it's best, and you want to see it that way for a very long time.

Note: Anti-reflective glazing materials should not be confused with non-glare glazing. Non-glare glass has an etched surface which reduces glare, but also reduces visibility. Anti-reflective glazing materials are therefore a better choice with most framing projects. They are also recommended for shadow-box framing, or for artwork with a heavier ply of matboard, where the work will sit deeper in the frame.


• Ultra-violet Glass is your next choice for quality glazing materials. UV glass is coated on one side with a protective film and is absolutely the best option when you want a high level of conservation for your art, without the additional cost of anti-reflective benefits.