Acrylic or Glass?
Many of the galleries seem to be moving away from the ubiquitous plate glass protection for their pictures, to the relatively newer Acrylic or Plexiglas. It is quite clear to see the benefits for the gallery, as acrylic is shatterproof, much lighter compared to glass and tends to have none of the optical glare associated with the more traditional
glass protection.
The Downside of Acrylic
On the surface of it Acrylic would seem the natural evolution for framing to go, but there are downsides to using it for your choice of picture. It has a tendency to scratch easily, it attracts dust due to static electric, and something that I have noticed
in several galleries, that it has a tendency to bow, distorting the art work inside. Another factor is the price! Acrylic can be up to 3 times more expensive than its more available, traditional partner. For all its misgivings, I still prefer to use glass for the majority of the time.