UV Protection Demystified
40% of artwork fading is due to UV radiation
Source: NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council)
Effectiveness of Blocking the UV Spectrum
Comparing Damage Protection
Total artwork damage protection of various glazings*:
| No glass | Typical Glass | Single or Double-layer AR (Chemical) |
Regular multi-layer AR (magnetron sputtered) T-UV 70% |
UV-blocking multi-layer AR (magnetron sputtered) T-UV 92% |
Organic UV Absorber T-UV 99% |
| 0% | 18% | 9% | 27% | 41% | 44% |
* The figures above show the effect of direct sunlight. Placing the picture inside a room, away from direct sunlight, behind double-glazed windows or Selective glazing, all decrease the amount of UV light on an artwork, therefore lessening the relative effect of UV blocking.
Source: NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council)
Conclusion
A UV block above 90% is an excellent addition to artwork glazing, and is effective at slowing artwork degradation due to UV exposure. However, be careful of UV blocking numbers close to 100% - the maximum theoretical block, closest to the visible spectrum. The higher the UV blocking number, the more our visual experience suffers—visible light transmission falls, light absorption and reflection increase, especially with organic UV absorbers. There’s a clear tradeoff: the higher the UV blocking, the less true the image reaching your eyes. ArtGlass UV strikes the ideal balance between protecting and displaying an artwork.
