How to Remove Photo Stuck to Glass

We have captured and shared special moments of our personal history using printed photographs for generations now. Unfortunately, these priceless prints weren’t designed to last forever. Printed photos have the chemical tendency to fade over time and are vulnerable to fire or water damage. We don’t often consider a common problem when a one-of-a-kind photo gets stuck to a picture frame’s glass.  But how to remove a photo stuck to the glass in a frame? And can you do that without damaging the photo? 

In this article, we’ll discuss how to prevent and remedy the issue of removing photos stuck to the glass. 

Please remember that these methods can help remove a photo stuck to the glass. But, there is no guarantee that your photo stuck to the glass can be removed without damage. If this is the case, not all is lost! We may be able to digitally restore your photo so you can make a new print. To learn more about our photo restoration services click here.

 

Why Do Photos Get Stuck To Glass?

Sometimes you may have a photo in a frame for 10 years and then realize it has adhered to the glass of a picture frame. When this happens, people often think, eh, time can do that to anything. However, sometimes pictures can be in a frame for only a year or even months, and what happens? It gets stuck to the glass. Either way, this can be very frustrating!

And when you look into the causes, the reasons why that happens are actually quite easy to understand. Photographs contain several thin coatings on top of each picture. Heat & moisture can cause these layers to distort and adhere to various surfaces, whether in another photo, the plastic sheen in a photo album, or the picture frame glass. Moisture traps or seeps into the back of the picture frame if you live in a humid environment. Living in a warm climate, or your picture frames are constantly in a sunny room, the heat can cause deformities in the photos.

 

Before You Start Removing The Photo from Glass

Before you try anything with a paper photo, it is best to make a digital copy of the image. While the methods mentioned below work often, there are instances where the photo remains stuck to the glass. For example, small sections cause the original photo to rip, leaving a piece of the image on the glass. It is always better to be safe than sorry!

Today, there are multiple options for digitizing your photos, ranging from simple methods you can use in your home to more advanced approaches that will generate the best results. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can go about making a digital backup in three ways:

 

• • Scanning (the preferred method) – Using a flatbed scanner yourself or using a company like Smooth Photo Scanning Services, place the glass & photo flat on the scanner. Make sure to scan the photo at high resolution in order to obtain the clearest possible image. Because the photo has an extra layer of glass between the image and the scanner, a higher resolution is necessary. However, there is still a chance the photo won’t be as sharp as the original.
    

 

• • Take a Photo – Take a picture of the photograph using a camera. The better quality camera you use, the better the quality of the backup image. This method can be tricky because you need to have the camera as close to perpendicular as possible over the photograph. Otherwise, the digital image will be distorted. You will have to ensure the lighting angle is perfect so you don’t get any glare or reflection from the glass.
    

 

• Use a Professional Service – Suppose you want to ensure that your photos maintain quality and look just as great (if not better) in the digital format. You should consider professional photo scanning services with cutting-edge equipment and software to produce the best results. Today, these services are becoming much more affordable. These services will ensure that your photographs remain in perfect condition even decades from now. You can print them on-demand whenever you want.

 

How to Remove a Photo Stuck to Glass?

Below are two different methods to go about removing photos from the glass. As with all things in life, there is no guarantee this will work, as each situation is different so please proceed carefully. Both of these methods have worked for us in various instances.

Option 1 – Use a Hair-dryer

Using a hair-dryer on a low heat setting, blow warm air onto the back of the photo – hold the hair-dryer about 5 inches from the photo’s surface to ensure it doesn’t overheat. This will help loosen the part of the photo adhered to the glass. Slowly & gently pull at a corner or side of the photo, pulling it back until the entire photo is removed. You may need to alternate heating and pulling to remove the whole photo effectively.

Option 2 – Freeze The Photo

Place the photo & glass into a freezer for about an hour. Proceed with caution, taking the photo & glass out of the freezer as cold glass is more prone to shattering. We recommend wearing gloves and protective eyewear in the event of glass breaking. Once out of the freezer, slowly and gently pull at a corner or side of the photo using either your hand or something thin like a sticker removal tool, putty knife, or credit card to aid you.

 

How To Prevent Photos From Sticking In The Future

In order to prevent this from happening in the future, you can do a few things:

• Use archival quality photo-safe mats – this will provide a barrier to humidity & add space between the photo and glass. These are widely available online or in local photoshops.
  
• Don’t put your photos in a spot exposed to direct sunlight (this also prevents color fading). Sunlight can damage the photos, so never place them exposed directly to the sunlight whenever possible. Short periods are fine, but extended sunlight exposure will inevitably deteriorate the photo and lead to sticking.
• Try to put photos in frames on less humid days and ensure there is no water/moisture on the photo or inside the picture frame as best as possible. Trapped moisture can be devastating to the photograph and make figuring out how to remove a photo stuck to the glass a real pain.
• The best way to protect your photos from sticking to glass is to make sure you digitize them before putting them in the picture frame. This way, when a photo gets stuck to the glass – it doesn’t matter. Since preserving and protecting your memories digitally, forever, you can print a new copy!

Why Digitization is the Only Safe Choice

In this article, we’ve explored some of the causes of photos getting stuck to the glass. Also, how to remedy the situation, as well as how to prevent it in the first place. But in the end, only one method guarantees that the precious memories in your photos will remain with you forever.  By hiring a professional photo digitization company, you can rest assured that no matter what happens to the original, you will have a backup that looks just as good as on the day it was taken. 

You won’t lose the memory forever when you find a photo stuck to the glass and cannot remove it without damaging it. You can print a new copy that will look just as well, taking the necessary precautions to ensure that it remains unstuck and lasts much longer.  Having memories in frames throughout your home is wonderful, as it allows you to relive those moments every single day, keeping them fresh in your mind. But at the same time, you should consider ensuring that you preserve those photos for future generations, who will probably be just as interested in seeing them as you. 

By hiring a digitization services provider, you can have the entire project wrapped up quickly and won’t have to waste time trying to do it yourself, which often won’t produce results that are as good anyway.  These types of services are becoming more available and easier to access across the country. You can also get a significant bulk discount if you have a large collection of photos.