Acrylic glazing, sometimes referred to as plastic or plexiglass, is a popular substitute for glass in picture framing because it is lightweight and shatterproof.
Your purchased cabinet may arrive with a protective covering on both sides to prevent the glazing from being scratched. This covering must be removed before displaying your items inside the cabinet.
Because acrylic is easily scratched, it’s important to take care when removing the covering to prevent damaging your new display door. You can download a printable pdf here.
Here are some tips for removing the protective covering from the acrylic.
- Carefully use your fingernail to peel back the covering from one of the corners.
- Be careful not to dig into the acrylic. Instead, you’ll want to “hook” the covering (both layers: paper and sticky film) with your nail until you can get a firm grip on it with your fingertips.
- Once you have a grip, continue peeling in a smooth and steady motion to avoid ripping or dropping the covering. See the 1st and 2nd images below.
- Avoid peeling just the paper (top layer), see 3rd picture above. Instead, it is best to grip onto both the sticky bottom layer and the top paper film together. If the paper and the sticky layer separated or you are having trouble getting a corner started then try another corner as the trick is to have a good start.
- Another suggestion for old or film with dried up film is to use a hair dryer to heat up the protective film first. The warming process will make the film come off easier.
