Storefront and shop windows are valuable real estate. Window displays, beautiful graphics, and clear messaging can showcase your brand and draw customers into a store. However, different businesses may need different types of window graphics; the selection is entirely dependent on the products sold, business location, and the intended purpose of the window graphics.
As you create a signage plan for your business — or work to enhance your current plan — it can be helpful to understand the different types of signage available. While our experts at Reveal Graphics can guide you through window graphic selection to determine the best material for your project, it’s worth your time to review those materials ahead of your planning discussion. Read through our guide to window graphics to learn more about the materials you can use for your window signage.
Types of Window Graphics
Window graphics adhere to glass surfaces and can be easily customized, applied, and removed. They’re an ideal environmental branding option for businesses that require rapid signage installs or for companies that change out their signage seasonally — but they have long-term applications as well.
Vinyl decals, window film, and cling graphics are some of the most popular types of window graphics. Custom fonts, lettering, images, and graphic designs can be printed onto vinyl and film materials to create a truly unique look. Window graphics can be used for more than adding style or messaging — they’re functional, too. Frosted films can provide privacy in an office or conference room while allowing for light to enter the space, for example.
Each type of window graphic has unique benefits and applications that may make it better suited to your project than others.
Vinyl Decals
Vinyl window graphics adhere to clear windows with an adhesive backing that keeps the design in place. Think of them like high-quality, durable, customizable stickers. Unique designs are printed onto a vinyl material and then cut out precisely to remove any unprinted edging.
In general, vinyl decals are thicker than other types of window graphics, like films. The material composition of a vinyl window graphic offers flexibility and durability. It’s more difficult to tear vinyl or damage it — and this, in turn, can make vinyl easier to apply or remove.
Perforated Vinyl
Perforated vinyl window graphics fall under the umbrella category of vinyl decals. These window graphics provide the same benefits as standard vinyl decals but, when applied, you can see through them. For businesses that require large signs on exterior windows, perforated vinyl may be preferred over a standard vinyl decal so that people inside the business can see out.
Both regular vinyl decals and perforated vinyl require precise application. Windows must be cleaned thoroughly before application and, once the backing of the vinyl is removed, it’s imperative that the application move slowly and methodically to ensure proper alignment and reduce the risk of bubbles beneath the vinyl.
Window Film
In contrast to vinyl decals and graphics that may be used for smaller applications, window film changes the look of the entire clear glass surface. Window films can be used to deflect sunrays, create an etched detail look, or offer privacy, among numerous other applications. They may also be customized to convey a specific message or showcase an image. Window film is thinner than vinyl and can be applied to the glass surface in different ways, like with water or adhesive.
Perforated Window Film
Perforated window film is an alternative to perforated vinyl — both serve the same function but with slightly different material compositions. Perforated window film ensures visibility from behind the vinyl. A person inside a building with a perforated window film on exterior windows will be able to see out of the building without obstruction.
Frosted Window Film
Frosted window film provides privacy without diminishing the light in a room. Frosted glass can be extremely expensive, and a frosted window film offers a cost-effective alternative. This film can come in different patterns and degrees of opacity.
In exterior use cases, frosted window film may be chosen for the front door of an office or even the windows of a residential building. It ensures that passersby cannot see into the space easily but the design of the film is relatively inconspicuous. It doesn’t add pattern or color to the window, meaning that frosted window film is a great choice for adding privacy without making a decorative statement. In an interior application, frosted window film can be used to provide privacy in a meeting room or cover the window of a door leading to a messy storage room — applications are endless.
One-Way Vision Film
One-way vision film offers the ultimate degree of privacy for both interior and exterior windows. Viewers inside the window can see out of the space, but viewers outside, where the film is applied, cannot see in. One-way vision film is opaque from one side. These films are available in different finishes — some that appear simply like a dark tint on a window and others that show a mirrored surface.
Static Cling Graphics
Static cling graphics offer the easiest form of application — and they’re great for temporary use. Like vinyl decals and window films, they can be printed with custom designs, colors, and patterns, but they adhere to windows in an entirely different form. Aptly named, the material clings to the window without any adhesive.
Static cling graphics can be used for both interior and exterior applications, but it should be noted that, due to the lack of adhesive, they are more susceptible to wear and may easily come off at an unintended time.
Selecting the Right Window Graphic for Your Business
With so many types of window graphics available, it can be difficult to determine the right signage for your business. The Reveal Graphics team can consult with you about the best materials, applications, and designs for your windows so that you can feel confident adding custom window graphics to your signage plan. Get a quote today.
