We present a study of fabrication and properties of planar optical waveguides fabricated by Ag+, Cu+, Cu2+ and Er3+ ion exchange in a variety of commercial as well as non-commercial optical glasses. The properties of the waveguides are discussed from the point of view of composition of the substrate glasses (taking into account the ratios of the bridging and non-bridging oxygen atoms in the glass matrixes and fining agents), luminescence and waveguiding properties as refractive index profiles and birefringence. The samples containing exclusively Cu+ exhibited very strong blue-green luminescence despite their low content of copper. The localized Er3+ doping into the glass wafers is presented for the first time.