When buying photographic art, it can be hard to find a frame that really does the artwork justice. Most people, especially first time buyers, don’t realise that nowadays the majority of photographs aren’t hidden away behind regular glass anymore. Plexiglass has become the industry’s standard due to its many benefits. It makes the art on your walls truly shine. Here’s how it works.

What is plexiglass and why is it so popular?
Plexiglass actually stems from the brand name Plexiglas and is a type of versalite, transparent acrylic plastic typically used to replace glass. It has a number of purposes and benefits and comes in a variety of different strengths, colours and opacities. It can be moulded into almost any desired shape, size and style.

Despite being more expensive than regular glass, plexiglass has a number of advantages that make it the superior choice for multiple applications. This is especially true in art, where plexiglass is often used as an alternative to delicate canvas or regular glass frames. Glass surfaces tend to reflect more light, resulting in glare and reflectives. Not only does plexiglass with glare-reducing coatings bring unwanted reflections to a minimum, it is also more scratch resistant and has a greater relative strength. Because of this, it is also more shatter-resistant in comparison to glass. Because it is a type of plastic, it is naturally more resistant to erosion and cuts down on the costs in long-term maintenance.

When to pick a clear or non-glare finish
Most conventional is a clear finish when buying photographic art on plexiglass. When viewing a photo with a clear finish, it is similar to looking through a window. Because it doesn’t dampen colours, it is most fitting for photographs with a lot of colours that you’d like to show off. Do keep in mind that this coating is more reflective than its non-glare alternative, so you’d need to keep it away from the sun for the best viewing experience.

If that would be an issue, there’s always a non-glare coating you can ask the manufacturer to apply. It tends to soften the colour of the artwork by a bit, but it does make photographic art on plexiglass more viewable when placed near a window or a light.

Photographic art on plexiglass
Plexiglass has come quite a long way and is now considered the standard for most artwork. It has all the benefits of regular glass with a few additional features, such as UV-protectant coatings. Prints, paintings and photography in particular are protected from harmful rays that cause artwork to dry out and lose colour depth over time. Whereas glass is heavy and breaks easily, this is not the case with plexiglass, which is instead lightweight and shatter resistant.

Thanks to its many customizable options, plexiglass fits essentially any interior and causes artwork to truly shine. It provides a new depth, gorgeously bright colours (due to the absence of the green tint that glass naturally has) and a type of luxurious elegance that is impossible to achieve with regular glass frames.