How to Get Rid of Reflections on Picture Frames

Written by Mark Rogers

You’ve matted and mounted your artwork, positioned it on the wall and finally hung it proudly. But when you step back to take a look at your handiwork, you notice something: your reflection. It’s a common problem in framing and hanging artwork, diploma frames or photos, one that the museums have overcome thanks to precise lighting and high-quality glazing.

We’ll look at three ways to reduce reflections and glare on framed photos or artwork — from the simplest option to the go-to solutions used by the pros.

Option 1: Eliminate the Glazing aka Frame Glass or Acrylic

The simplest option to eliminate reflection is to avoid the use of any acrylic and replacement glass for picture framing glazing in picture frames. The obvious advantage of this is a lower overall cost, as you are omitting a major part of the framing package. And with no glazing, there is little chance of reflection.

Unfortunately, this option has serious drawbacks. Because the artwork has no defense against curious fingers and atmospheric pollutants, dust and grime gather on the artwork itself, which can prove more difficult or impossible to clean. You also have less protection from UV radiation, which can more quickly fade and damage artwork.

Additionally, if the artwork itself is glossy, you still may see reflections with improper lighting.

Option 2: Adjust the Lighting

Assuming you are going to use glazing, the second least expensive option is to combine regular glazing — i.e. glazing without any built-in reflection control — with proper lighting. Gallery lighting is accomplished by positioning lighting directly above the artwork and fairly close to it, forcing the light to hit the artwork at a steep angle.

This angle allows you to only see reflections if you are looking up toward the art from beneath it. Your options here are to purchase picture frame lights, which can be attached to the wall behind picture frames. Or if you have appropriate lighting already in place, you can simply adjust where you hang the frames.

Option 3: Choose Non-Glare / Non Reflective Glazing

Not many people will undergo lighting renovation just to avoid reflections in picture frames. An alternative is to purchase specialty non-glare picture frame acrylic or anti-reflective glass glazing. The non-glare acrylic glazing features an etched surface on one side that helps reduce the reflection.

However, the etching results in a loss of sharpness that is proportional to the distance between the artwork and the glazing; it is most apparent when using double mats. Because of this loss of sharpness, non-glare acrylic glazing is not suitable for shadow box framing.

Non-reflective Glass for Framing Pictures

Non-reflective glass for framing pictures, on the other hand, uses a special type of coating to reduce reflection — but without the loss of sharpness seen in non-glare acrylic. ArtGlass Water White Anti-Reflective glass provides the full protection of glazing while making the glazing look practically invisible. Water white means this glass has reduced iron content to help eliminate the green tint normal glass contains providing even more clarity. This glass can also be purchased with an optional UV filter to help reduce fading of the artwork from UV radiation.

Anti-reflection is also available in acrylic. Tru Vue Optium Museum Acrylic is anti-reflective, water white, and has the UV filter. In addition to all these features, it is shatter resistant unlike glass. Museums often prefer acrylic to glass since broken glass can damage rare artwork.

How you choose to reduce the glare on your picture frames depends on your budget and the importance of protecting the artwork itself. Whichever way you choose, you won’t have to worry about all that glare.

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Written by Mark Rogers

Mark Rogers is the President and Co-Founder of Frame Destination. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Mark has become a leading authority on framing techniques and best practices, and has earned a reputation for his innovative approaches to custom framing and frame services for photographers and artists.

Updated January 5, 2023