Methods of strengthening the edge surfaces of a glass substrate, and particularly glass substrates contained within a display panel, are disclosed. The methods include exposing edges of the display panel to an acid solution for a time and at a temperature effective to remove no more than about 20 micrometers of glass from edge surfaces, rinsing the acid solution from the edge and applying a polymer protective coating the rinsed edge to maintain the post-etching strength of the edge surfaces. Electronics on the display panel that may be exposed to the acid solution are masked with a terminal mask prior to the etching. The edge etching may be combined with etching of a surface of the display panel/cover glass substrate.