Is acrylic good for picture frames?

Know More About Acrylic Photo Frame

Yes, I think you must have some precious art photos that you want to use photo frames to perfectly protect and display. A good photo frame not only allows you to clearly see the content of the photos but also should be perfectly protected.
At this time, you will definitely consider what material frame is the best? What size frame should I choose? Maybe even how to DIY a photo frame?
So in this blog, we hope to help you make a choice.

What is acrylic for picture frames?

Acrylic sheet is a transparent material that can be used as a substitute for glass. It has been widely used in daily life. It is strong, flexible, lightweight, and even recyclable. Acrylic glass does an excellent job of providing clarity and protection, which makes it particularly useful when displaying and preserving photos and artworks. It is similar to polycarbonate sheets but offers excellent surface hardness. Maybe, you want to know more detail when acrylic vs polycarbonate.

Is acrylic the best photo frame material?

First of all, I think you must have more or less such a question. There are so many materials that can be used to make photo frames, such as glass, polycarbonate, why use acrylic? Is acrylic the most suitable material?

You may often see the glass as a material, but I think you are also very aware of the shortcomings of glass, the first thing you can think of is that it is fragile, which is very dangerous as a photo frame; secondly, the glass itself is very heavy. So for larger frames (over 16 inches X 20 inches), the weight difference between glass and acrylic will be large, which is why glass is more commonly used for smaller frames. (You can refer to the weight of other common glass objects. For example, the weight of a glass fish tank is 4-10 times larger than an acrylic fish tank of the same volume.)

Acrylic also has very good characteristics from an optical point of view. This characteristic is what glass does not have. That is its optical purity. This kind of optical purity makes acrylic excellent for displaying and protecting framed photos and artworks. Since acrylic is a glass substitute created artificially, it can adopt special treatment methods to solve some common glass problems, such as glare and ultraviolet penetration. Acrylic to be used in frame products has unique standards. It’s ultraviolet filtering, anti-glare and anti-ultraviolet properties can provide a full range of aesthetics and protection, which makes it far more protective than glass. The function of these acrylics also makes the acrylic itself not easily broken even when time goes by.

Glass display effectThe light is highly reflective and can be green.Acrylic display effectWith anti-glare option.
Mobility of glassIt is difficult to move, and you need to be very careful when handling it.
For large picture frames, wall support is required.
Mobility of acrylicThe lightweight frame can be easily repositioned.
The dangers of glassA heavier frame may cause more serious damage.
People may be cut by broken glass.
Broken glass may damage the artwork.
The dangers of acrylicFalling off the lightweight frame will prevent serious damage.
Acrylic will crack, but not as slag glass broke into.
The protective ability of glassPrevent dust from entering; there is almost no electromagnetic charge.
May form condensation on the surface.
Depending on the type, a certain percentage of ultraviolet rays can be blocked.
The protective ability of acrylicAlthough it has a high electromagnetic charge, it is still dust-proof.
The chance of condensation is small.
Depending on the type, a certain percentage of ultraviolet rays can be blocked.

How do you hang an acrylic frame?

I think there must be times when you are not satisfied with putting the photo frame on your desk, but hang it on the wall, so how to hang your acrylic photo frame?

Here we provide three methods for reference:

Use lock bolts for picture frames

When you order acrylic products from the company, you can ask them to drill a hole in each corner for you, which will facilitate your suspension.

As for your wall, you can place the acrylic photo frame on the wall, draw a draft with a pencil, and trace the position of each preset hole so that you know where to make a hole in the wall later.

Installing a French Cleat

Fix the rear bracket to the wall with a spirit level. Determine where you want to hang the acrylic picture frame, and then fix the back seat to the wall. Use a level to ensure that the back is installed evenly.

While holding the frame against the wall as expected, you can use screws to mark the anchor positions. Push the screw slightly into the screw hole so that it has a notch in the wall, or drill the screw into the wall so that it just drills a small hole in it, and then remove the screw.

Using the indentation on the screw as a guide, drill the drywall anchor into the wall.

Place the rear bracket on the wall so that it aligns with the drywall anchor.

After aligning the rear bracket with the anchor, slide the screw into the hole of the rear bracket. Drill the screw completely into the holder, making sure that the rear holder is firm and close to the wall.

Hang the acrylic photo frame on the wall by sliding on the rear bracket. The slope of the back bracket should be aligned with the slope of the acrylic frame. Just hang the photo frame on the base and it will slide into place correctly.

Hanging wire

Generally speaking, this kind of hanging wire seems to be very dangerous, it will not try to hang things, glass products and the like are impossible, but because we use acrylic, so if your acrylic photo frame is not a giant, if you want, you can try hanging wire.

If you are sure you want to hang the wire, remember to measure the position from the top to your photo frame. You can pull up a wire by simulating it to make it similar to the hanging state, so as to make an accurate measurement.

Use a pencil to mark where you want to drill screws, nails, hooks, or other hardware to support the frame. Try to use a spirit level to ensure that the markings are correct.

Choose hardware that can support the weight of acrylic prints. For example, hooks are best for lighter frames, while nails and screws are best for heavier frames. Use a hammer, screwdriver, or drill to firmly install the hardware on the wall.

After everything is ready, all you have to do is hang up the photo frame!

Picture frames with lock bolts
Picture frames with French Cleat
Picture frames with Hanging wire

Conclusion

In short, acrylic as a photo frame material, I will confidently tell you it must be the first choice, far better than glass, you can use acrylic at any time.

Now, you should know the uniqueness of acrylic photo frames. Do you have any unique designs that you have thought of? You are welcome to contact us, we are happy to help you turn your ideas into reality.

UVACRYLIC is leading manufacturer of acrylic sheet in China, meantime, provide machining acrylic service. Therefore, we are the best OEM&ODM of pictures frames.

If you have any questions about acrylic, you can contact us and leave a message, we will reply to you as soon as possible.

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