Re: what is the best Plexiglas?

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Judy,

I have used a lot of the UV plastic in my archival work. There are two kinds. One, the OP3, removes the most UV and is thicker. However, it has a slight yellow tinge. Normally not a problem but you would have to try a piece in order to judge how if affects your print. The other type is thinner, less expensive and clear but does not remove as much UV. Still, it removes a lot. Both of these plastics are much lighter than glass and will scratch much more easily than glass. See a Light Impressions catalog for both of the above.

Most non-archivists are not aware of the effects of UV on prints or where it originates. The sun is, of course, a real killer of pigment; however, flourescent lights and those metal-hallide lamps which are sometimes used in galleries will put out significant amounts of UV so that, over time, the pigments will fade.

We use low wattage incandescent flood in our museum (Women's History). At the college, both the museum and the archives have fl lights in the ceiling. I have installed UV filters on the overhead lamps and also use UV plastic on the framed stuff.

Bob