The glazing in a frame is one of the most consequential decisions in displaying a fine art print, and one of the most frequently underestimated. Standard glass passes UV radiation that damages prints over time. Conservation-grade glazing options — UV-filtering glass and museum glass — provide meaningfully better protection, but at significantly higher cost. Whether the cost is justified depends on what you are displaying and how.
How UV Radiation Damages Prints
Ultraviolet radiation — present in sunlight and, to a lesser extent, in some artificial light sources — causes photochemical degradation in both the inks and the paper of fine art prints. The effect is cumulative and irreversible. Dye-based inkjet prints are particularly vulnerable; pigment-based prints are more resistant but not immune. Silver gelatin prints can yellow and fade. The rate of damage depends on light intensity, duration of exposure, and the specific materials in the print.
UV-Filtering Glass
Standard UV-filtering glass (sometimes called conservation glass) blocks approximately 97–99% of UV radiation. It looks very similar to standard glass and introduces minimal reflection-related issues. It is significantly less expensive than museum glass — typically two to four times the cost of standard glass rather than ten times — and for most fine art prints in most display environments, it represents the right balance of protection and cost.
If your prints are displayed away from direct sunlight, in rooms with predominantly artificial lighting using low-UV sources (LED fixtures without UV emission), UV-filtering glass provides very strong protection at a reasonable price. For the majority of private collectors, this is the appropriate choice.
Museum Glass
Museum glass — the branded name for Tru Vue’s premium anti-reflective, UV-filtering glazing, though the term is used generically for similar products — adds anti-reflective coatings to the UV-filtering properties. The result is glazing that is almost optically invisible: it passes light so cleanly that the glass appears not to be there, revealing the print with exceptional clarity. Museum glass also achieves very high UV filtration, typically 99% or above.
The cost is substantially higher — expect to pay three to five times the cost of UV-filtering glass for the same size panel. The justification is optical clarity in high-reflection environments, and the sense that a significant print deserves presentation that allows it to be seen at its best without the visual interference of surface reflections. For prints with very fine detail or subtle tonal gradations, the difference in visual clarity can be significant.
The Practical Recommendation
Use UV-filtering glass as your minimum standard for any fine art print. Reserve museum glass for your most significant pieces — those displayed in high-ambient-light environments or where optical clarity is genuinely important to the viewing experience. Standard glass has no place in a serious print collection.