Packard
Member
Glass, especially U.V. Absorbing glass will add years to the life of a photo.
Spray coatings will not offer that level of protection.
I would note that you should never put a photo in direct contact with the glass. Modern photo paper will laminate to the glass in areas of the greatest contact. It will look terrible, and it is impossible to remove the photo without damaging it. Using a mat or a spacer between the glass and the image resolves that issue.
I would note that when cleaning the glass for framing, the interior side should be cleaned twice more using distilled water. The distilled water will remove any residue soap, alcohol, vinegar or ammonia that might fog the glass over time. Rinsing the glass under a faucet it nearly as effective, depending on the water source. But distilled water is best.
Even wedding album photos, not exposed to the light, will fade over time. I have seen badly faded images in albums after just 25 years.
I am not sure if current wedding photos and albums are printed using photographic paper and chemistry, or if they are printed using ink jet technology. Some inkjet inks are very durable, even in direct light. (I shot my last wedding in the early 1980s. Back then dye transfer prints were the only super-durable images—but prohibitively expensive.
Spray coatings will not offer that level of protection.
I would note that you should never put a photo in direct contact with the glass. Modern photo paper will laminate to the glass in areas of the greatest contact. It will look terrible, and it is impossible to remove the photo without damaging it. Using a mat or a spacer between the glass and the image resolves that issue.
I would note that when cleaning the glass for framing, the interior side should be cleaned twice more using distilled water. The distilled water will remove any residue soap, alcohol, vinegar or ammonia that might fog the glass over time. Rinsing the glass under a faucet it nearly as effective, depending on the water source. But distilled water is best.
Even wedding album photos, not exposed to the light, will fade over time. I have seen badly faded images in albums after just 25 years.
I am not sure if current wedding photos and albums are printed using photographic paper and chemistry, or if they are printed using ink jet technology. Some inkjet inks are very durable, even in direct light. (I shot my last wedding in the early 1980s. Back then dye transfer prints were the only super-durable images—but prohibitively expensive.
