Glass for framing photographs

[Daniel_OB]

I want to frame myself photographs I do for my customers. All is fine but when came to buy glass (window quality) it turned so costly. I ask on several places for the price and the range is $12.5-$20 (Canadian) plus 15% tax, for 11x14" glass alone. Can anyone in such a business bless this price or tell me to search further.

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[Ryuji]

Glass is cheap. Cutting is expensive.

Depending on the frame size, you could take advantage of some of the pre-cut stock that frame manufacturers sell as replacement parts. But if you have odd size requirement and have to cut it, that's where it gets expensive. You either pay someone to do it or you can learn to cut the glass.

Plexiglass is more expensive in terms of material, but cutting is a bit easier and less dangerous.

 

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, you should be able to get pre-packaged glass for a lot less. In the US, you can get it at a large craft/art supply store, such as Michaels. Probably have something like that in Canada. You can have it cut at a glass supply business, but it will probably be dirty and may have scratches, whereas the packaged glass is clean.

Jon

 

[Sirius Glass]

Do you need UV protection for the glass?

Do you need non-glare glass?

Either or both will drive up the cost.

Steve

 

[Daniel_OB]

No UV protection, no non-glare, just plane window glass.
Cutting glass is fine but what I do not like is dust from glass I saw in cutting shops.

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[David Brown]

Last week I bought 10 sheets of 16x20 glass for $4.90 (USD) each at Home Depot. It was the cheapest I had found in the area. Don't know if you have Home Depot, but hobby stores or other home centers shouldn't be much more. The glass was dirty from the cardboard in the packaging, but cleaned up fine and was scratch free.

 

[blaze-on]

I think I'll start a business importing glass into Canada...wow, that's very pricey for that size.

I know American Frames includes 1/8 plexi with their Nielson frames and is about the same as what your glass is. Could be an option for you

 

[photographs42]

Find a framing supply vender. If you are using a lot of the same size, you can buy it by the box in standard sizes (I think 11x14 is a standard but I don’t use that size). I pay $36.50 a box. Every size is the same price and the number of sheets varies. I would guess there are at least 20 sheets or more in a box of 11x14.

“Window” glass (actually it’s called single strength glass) from the hardware store is not as good as the glass from the frame supply store (I use Tru-View glass). The “window” glass is greener, is packed in corn meal and is harder to clean. Tru-View is packed with inter leaf paper and is clean out of the box.

Jerome

 

[Daniel_OB]

Thanks guys a lot. It is all so useful to me. Yes here in canada prices are not normal compared to US.

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[Shane Knight]

If you need single strength glass without any bells and whistles or don't mind cleaning every sheet, your best source for the lowest price is from an auto glass service; which usually carries all types of glass.

Good Luck,

Shane Knight
www.shaneknight.com

 

[Tom Stanworth]

you should not be using window glass. It is thicker by far and more expensive. Framing glass is 2mm (Rather thant about 4mm for window). Bought from a framing supplies palce or even framer who may sell some makred up it is cheap. Cutting is easy enough if you have the space and right kit (Mat, straight edge, cutter). Disposal is something to consider as youll be left with lots of offcuts of glass. Glass only gets expensive when you go for the UV protected and coated glass to reduce surface reflections. I dont like the anti glare glass that is lightly frosted. Awful stuff for photos.

Straight 2mm float glass is fine for starters and if you end up a whizz you can spend 100 bucks per sheet on super coated UV filtering glass! Virtually invisible but you dont want to screw up the cutting on that stuff!

 

[Daniel_OB]

Some customers hang the photograph on the wall and seldom see it. They do not need bells on the glass. To recognize faces and memory is important to them. To hang the photograph as work of art I recommend to my customer not to use any glass, no matter price and glare degree. To such customer I supply black velvet to cover the photograph when not for seeing.
So when glass go, as you guys say, framing 2 mm thick glass will go in 99% of cases.
I just also wander is it normal for fotog to cut and glass and make some more money (and loose time?). Well might be it will be to

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[Tom Stanworth]

I would always recommend glass. It protects against damage from knocks or scrapes and also atmosperic pollutants. There are three main reasons to do your own framing:

1. Because you do enough volume to recover the investment in kit and make a saving over paying a framer
2. Because framers keep letting you down either on deadlines or quality or both.
3. Because you want to! I have certainly experienced point 2 and possibly am at the point now where I may just about have started to break even after the investment (I bought a fairly good mount cutter which i dont regret for a second). I also love being able to look at what is on the wall and know I did all of it. The entire end result is my vision and I have nobody else to thank or blame. It represents the total of what I have been striving for. this is hugley satisfying. Oh, and the quality is better than any framer I have ever used as they must work fast. My mounts are cleaner, more accurate and of quality materials that framers mark up enormously. I can produce a framed image packed with museum rag board, archival barrier paper between backing and mount etc in a quality metal frame (my general preference) for a lot less than a framer charges for a frame with cheapo mount board and backing. I know mine has been done properly with archival tape etc and not slapped together using cheap convenience materials that I will regret (or the buyer will) in time.

I buy 2mm picture glass cut by a local glass merchant who dabbles in framing but can now cut my own as I have the space again. I want to cut my own so my confidence reached the point where I can use premium glass on the odd image. Framers charge a silly amount for teh already expensive custom glasses.

 

[Sparky]

A nice aspect of using glass is that it forces you to view from an optimal angle - otherwise the image might (IMO) be compromised. Futhermore - using glass brings back a little bit of that 'still wet' look to the print.

If you really want to save money on glass - and you'll be doing a fair bit of it - order some 4x8 foot sheets of it - should be REALLY cheap - probably $1 per frame!

The next step up that I'd offer wouldn't be UV (I'd leave that for the tacky mall framing shops) - but check out "water white" glass. It's available everywhere. It's expensive. But it's quite surprising how good prints look through it. It has no colour at ALL.