Glazing and print values

Does anyone allow for a slightly lighter print when using glass for glazing? I have a few black & white prints to do and they seem to be slightly darker once glazing has been applied. Is it just me, or does this pose a problem at times? I have inexpensive metal frames and the glazing looks to be 2mm float glass.

Funny I should happen upon this topic today. I have been searching all over for relief from the very thing which you inquire. I have been overtoning and printing lighter to allow for the green tint evident in float glass. No more. The fine print should be printed as though it were being seen without glazing, so as be appealing once it leaves the walls and ends up in someone's archive. Acrylite is available for a few dollars more and renders colorless protection for optimum viewing as well as providing some UV protection as well. Denglas Water White is also out there as another (albeit quite expensive) option to glass and offers glare resistant coating and UV protection and is iron (green) free. $12/sq ft. Yikes!

I am going to go with acrylite. No more float glass for me. I work too damn hard to get the beautiful chocolate blacks and subtle textures to have them erased by green tint.

My mat cutter supplies glass from her art shop which does not lend any green cast that I can detect. Maybe I am color blind but I do tone prints to get rid of a greenish cast which I see readily and object to greatly (mostly). IMO, the darkening one observes is caused by some light reflected off the glass surface which normally reaches and is reflected from the print surface.

I have read of archival problems with plastic instead of glass. Don't know how true it is and I use acrylic somethimes but plastic does outgass and it could be a problem.

Bob

The major problem with acrylics is that they scratch like mad!! They are lighter (good), they cost about double compared to ordinary window glass -which I use, and do not have a problem with scratches - (which is not good).

No matter how gingerly I treated my work in transportation - cardboard corners, cushioning blankets, etc.- *ALL* the acrylics I've tried have now been scratched to uselessness.

dr bob said:

My mat cutter supplies glass from her art shop which does not lend any green cast that I can detect. Maybe I am color blind but I do tone prints to get rid of a greenish cast which I see readily and object to greatly (mostly). IMO, the darkening one observes is caused by some light reflected off the glass surface which normally reaches and is reflected from the print surface.

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Dear Dr,
Could you find out for us from your mat cutter which type of glass she uses, and where one may obtain it?

The absolute finest glazing that I have ever experienced is Denglas. This has an appr. 1% reflective value on their "water white". It almost has the appearance of no glazing present. http://www.denglas.com

Good stuff but like most good stuff it is expensive.