# Etched glass ## Overview Etched glass on a drawing tablet, means the glass has a slight texture. It is not completely smooth like normal glass. The amount of of this etching varies depending on the exact process used to create the etching. ## Physical properties The etching is a very subtle texture created on the glass usually through the means of some acid that has eaten away a little bit of the surface. ## Benefits The texture gives two benefits. First, it helps the glass avoid feeling slippery as you draw. That slippery feeling is a very common complaint for some devices like an iPad. Second, that texture also disperses light that is coming from the room and this dispersion will reduce glare. So the etching is often referred to as an anti glare treatment. ## Potential disadvantages One negative aspect of the etching is that it can create an effect called anti glare sparkle. Sometimes the anti glare sparkle is very subtle but sometimes it is extremely strong and people do not like it. More here: [Anti-glare sparkle](/drawtab/guides/pen-displays/ag-sparkle.md). Users may also see a little bit of "softness" to the pixels. Where the etches of pixels are not as crisp as you would normally expect. This is due to the light from the display panel being diffused because of the eching. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/guides/maintain/etched-glass.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.