How to Avoid Glare on Wall Art

If you hang a picture, step back and see the window, the ceiling light or your own outline where the work should be, the problem is not the picture but its place. Glare on wall art is a matter of simple geometry between where the light comes from and where you look from, and most of the time it can be solved before a nail goes in. This guide explains how to avoid glare on wall art by choosing the wall in relation to window and lamp, how to test a spot before hanging, and what part the surface plays.

Where glare on wall art comes from

A glossy surface sends light back at the angle it arrived: whatever angle the light strikes at, it leaves at the same one. That is why glass, acrylic and varnished surfaces behave like mirrors. For a reflection to be visible, three things have to line up: a light source, a glossy surface and an eye looking at that surface. Move any one of the three and the reflection either disappears or slides off the work.

There are two kinds. The first is an image reflection: you can make out the shape of the window, the lamp or a screen in the glass. The second is more subtle: a pale wall opposite, or simply a bright room, is reflected as a thin veil; you see no particular shape, but colours look washed out and dark areas turn grey. This second kind is often read as "the print came out pale", when it is the position, not the work, that is pale.

The mirror test: check for glare before you hang

The most reliable check is done with a hand mirror. Hold the mirror flat against the wall where the centre of the work will be, then go to the place you will most often look from: sit on the sofa, stand at the head of the table, walk in through the door. Whatever you see in the mirror, you will see in a glazed frame. If the window shows, there will be glare by day; if a lamp shows, there will be glare in the evening.

Do the test twice: in daylight, and in the evening with the lamps you normally use switched on. Move the mirror to where the four corners of the work will be as well; with large pieces the centre can be clear while one corner catches the window. If all the mirror shows is the opposite wall or furniture, the spot is suitable.

Three walls in relation to the window

The wall facing the window

This is the hardest wall for reflections: the window is visible in any glossy surface opposite it all day long. It suits matt surfaces. If a glazed piece has to go here, anti-reflective glass or a sheer curtain during the day helps; a sheer turns the window from a bright rectangle into a soft surface.

The wall at right angles to the window

In most rooms this is the easiest wall. Light reaches the work from the side and is reflected towards the other side of the room; it does not reach the eye of someone looking straight on. The only thing to watch is standing too close to the window: if the work is right beside it, the window can reappear in the surface when seen at a slant from the far end of the room.

The same wall as the window

The wall between two windows, or right next to one, gives no reflection, because the light comes from behind the work. The problem here is a different one: the eye adjusts to the bright window, and the work beside it looks darker than it is. Light-toned pieces with clear contrast read better on this wall; dark, detailed pieces need evening lighting to be thought through.

Glare and sun damage are separate matters: glare affects what you see, while direct sun affects the work itself. Walls that get the sun are covered in our guide to cleaning and caring for wall art.

Glare under artificial light: where the lamp sits

Most evening reflections come from sources at eye level: a floor lamp, a table lamp, a screen left on. Because these sit at the same height as the work, their light bounces off the surface straight back to the eye. The fix is usually simple: move the lamp half a metre, turn the shade, or put the work on the wall the lamp stands against.

With ceiling spotlights, what matters is how far the spot is from the wall. For the light to reach the work at roughly 30 degrees from the vertical, the spot should be out from the wall by about 0.6 times the difference in height between the ceiling and the centre of the work. In a room with a 240–270 cm ceiling and a work hung with its centre at 145–150 cm, that difference is 90–125 cm, so the spot sits roughly 50–70 cm from the wall. Further out, the light flattens and flares in the glass; closer in, the frame casts a shadow over the work. Colour temperature and light levels are covered in our guide to office wall art.

A pendant in the middle of the room is not usually a problem, because it stays above the head of someone standing. Things change for works viewed sitting down: as the eye drops, a source on the ceiling can come into view in the glass. That is why the mirror test should also be done from where you sit.

Glare by surface: canvas, acrylic, glass

Matt canvas scatters light and gives no distinct reflection; it is the most forgiving surface to hang opposite a window. An acrylic surface is glossy and shows what is opposite it clearly; it gives deep, vivid colour and asks for a carefully chosen place in return. How the two materials behave in light is compared in acrylic print vs canvas.

In a glazed frame the type of glass decides. Ordinary glass reflects about 8 per cent of the light that falls on it; that sounds little, but in front of a dark work it is enough to form an image of a window. Matt (etched) glass breaks the reflection up into a blur; it works well when the work lies against the glass, but once a mount or a deep frame puts distance between them, it blurs the work as well. Anti-reflective coated glass brings reflection down to under 1 per cent, according to manufacturers' figures, and keeps the image sharp. The protective side of glazing is covered in archival quality framing.

Why dark works reflect more

The amount of reflection does not change with the colour of the work; its visibility does. A reflection in front of a light-toned work blends with the light colour coming from behind and disappears. Glass in front of a dark area behaves like the window of an unlit room: it shows everything opposite it. A court composition on a navy or dark green ground is more exposed to reflections than a piece in clay tones.

The practical consequence is that the wall for a dark, glazed work has to be chosen more carefully. A light-toned piece may sit on a wall without trouble where a dark one is bothersome. The colour of the opposite wall counts too; a white wall facing a dark work is reflected in the surface as a thin veil.

Small corrections: tilt, height, curtain

If moving the work is not possible, three small adjustments can be tried. The first is tilt: bringing the top edge a few degrees forward from the wall pushes the reflection down towards the floor; it is effective against reflections from sources on the ceiling. The second is height: lowering or raising the work by a few centimetres can take the reflection out of the field of view. The third is the light itself: a sheer curtain, a dimmable lamp or an adjustable spot softens the source.

Step by step: placing a picture for the light

1. Count the light sources in the room: windows, ceiling lights, floor lamps, screens.

2. Decide where the work will mostly be seen from; standing or sitting?

3. Do the mirror test on the candidate wall in daylight, at the centre and at the corners.

4. Repeat the test in the evening with the lamps on.

5. If there is glare, try changing the wall first, then the height, then the light.

6. If the place cannot change, choose the surface to suit it: matt canvas or anti-reflective glass.

7. After hanging, look at the work at different times of day for a week; redirect the spot or the lamp if needed.

Common mistakes

— Checking for glare only standing up and only by day. The seat and the evening light are separate tests.

— Hanging a dark, glazed work directly opposite the window.

— Aiming a spot at the work head-on, or from too far out from the wall.

— Blaming the print when a work looks pale, without allowing for the reflection of a light wall opposite.

— Using matt glass in a deep frame or with a wide mount; glare is reduced but the work blurs too.

— Forgetting the wall opposite the television or a large screen; a screen is a light source as well.

— Moving the work to a wall in direct sun in order to get rid of glare.

Surface and light at Aurecort

Aurecort's Framed Art Series has a canvas surface and sits comfortably on walls facing a window. The Plexi Series has a glossy surface and looks its best on walls where the light comes from the side. In framed works, UV glass and acid-free mounts are part of the brand's approach to archival quality. The standard size is 50 × 70 cm; if you tell us where the wall stands in relation to the window and what light sources the room has, the choice of surface can be thought through together on that basis. Glass and surface options are settled at the quotation stage.

For those who want to know how the tennis week went, our tennis roundup is online. For 3D printing and hand-painted decorative objects, see our sister brand Aurecort 3D.

Frequently asked questions

What can be done if a picture shows glare?

First find the source with the mirror test. If it is the window, move the work to a wall at right angles to it or use a sheer curtain; if it is a lamp, move the lamp. If the place cannot change, anti-reflective glass or a matt surface is worth considering.

Can a picture hang opposite a window?

Yes; matt canvas causes no trouble on that wall. Glazed or glossy works reflect the window; anti-reflective glass reduces this considerably.

Is anti-reflective glass the same as matt glass?

No. Matt glass scatters the reflection and also blurs the image as the work moves away from the glass. Anti-reflective glass is coated; it reduces reflection while keeping the image sharp.

At what angle should a spotlight be aimed at a picture?

Around 30 degrees from the vertical is a practical measure. For that, the spot is placed out from the wall by about 0.6 times the height difference between the ceiling and the centre of the work.

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