The material
Films, and which side of the glass each one works from
Seven materials, and they divide by what the glass has to do: hide a room, carry an image, keep a view out, take heat, or hold a notice that will be moved. Nothing here is a sheet from the caliper table, so nothing carries a caliper — the films are described by behaviour rather than measured.
Printed frosted film
Also sold as printed frosted sticker, frosted glass sticker, etched-look film.
A self-adhesive frosted film printed to order in single panels from 148 mm to 1220 mm wide, and tiled beyond that. The frost itself reads grey on the glass rather than white.
- Under ink
- Colour printed on frost has no white behind it, so it stays translucent and glows when light comes through. Logos and text are given a solid white behind them so they read as solid marks.
- Best for
- Meeting rooms, clinic doors and office partitions where a printed pattern or logo sits within the frost.
- Avoid for
- Expecting a bright white frost. This film reads grey; a white frost is a different film.
- On the schedule
- The clear adhesive takes time to settle after fitting, so a faint haze just after fitting is normal.
White-frost film
Also sold as white frosted sticker, white etch film, white frost window sticker.
A frosted film whose background can be specified in grey or in white, with optional white backing behind the printed colour. It is the film for a frost that has to read light rather than smoky.
- Under ink
- With white backing, colour reads solid and opaque; without it, colour stays translucent over the frost. The background is filled with the frost chosen, never with ink.
- Best for
- Shopfronts and reception glass where a brand colour has to hold against daylight on a frosted ground.
- Avoid for
- Filling the frosted background in the artwork. Leave it empty and name the frost on the specification.
- On the schedule
- Printed, white-backed where specified, cut to shape, then tiled into panels for wide glass.
Ready-patterned frosted film
Also sold as decorative window film, window decor film, frosted pattern film.
A decorative frosted film supplied 1200 mm wide in ready patterns, cut to the pane. Nothing is printed to order, so there is no artwork to prepare.
- Under ink
- No ink. The pattern is in the film.
- Best for
- Privacy on a whole run of glazing where no logo is needed — bathrooms, back offices, ground-floor flats.
- Avoid for
- Brand colour or a logo. Those need a printed frosted film.
- On the schedule
- Cut to the pane from stock; its clear adhesive takes longer to settle than the printed films.
Printable solar window film
Also sold as solar film, window tint film, printed solar film.
A solar control film that can be printed and frosted. Solar films are compared on three published figures: visible light transmitted, ultraviolet rejected and infrared rejected, each as a percentage.
- Under ink
- Every area of the finished film is printed, white or frosted. There is no clear area left in it, so plan the artwork as a full surface.
- Best for
- Sun-facing glazing that also needs privacy or a printed design.
- Avoid for
- A design that relies on clear windows through the film. There are none.
- On the schedule
- Printed to the pane, frosted where specified, and tiled into panels with a 25 mm overlap for wide glass.
One-way vision film
Also sold as perforated window film, see-through window graphic, one way vision sticker.
A perforated printed film from 152 mm to 1320 mm wide, also set up at standard A-sizes from A4 to 2A0. It carries an image outside while the view out is kept.
- Under ink
- Printed on the solid face, with a clear laminate available over it. The laminate closes the perforations against rain and dust.
- Best for
- Street-facing shop glazing and vehicle windows where the people inside must still see out.
- Avoid for
- Glass that has to be read from inside. The image faces outward only.
- On the schedule
- Printed, laminated where specified, then cut to the pane.
Static cling decal
Also sold as static decal, window cling, static sticker, blockout static decal.
A printed film on a clear liner that holds to clean glass without adhesive, so it can be peeled off, moved and put back. Single-sided and double-sided clings are made from different films.
- Under ink
- Printed direct, in reverse or on both sides, with a white base where it has to read solid. On a clear double-sided cling light colours look translucent, which is what the blockout version exists to stop.
- Best for
- Parking permits, car window notices, opening notices and seasonal promotions that come down and go back up.
- Avoid for
- Artwork printed to the edge. A 5 mm clear border is what lets the cling grip.
- On the schedule
- Printed, then die-cut or kiss-cut on the liner to the shape.
Cut frosted vinyl
Also sold as frosted lettering, cut frosted sticker, etched-look lettering.
Frosted film cut to a vector outline — letters, a logo, a band — with the background weeded away so only the shape is left on the glass.
- Under ink
- No ink. The shape is the film.
- Best for
- Door names, room numbers, logos and manifestation bands that should read like etched glass.
- Avoid for
- Lettering 25 mm high or less, or strokes 2 mm or less. Below that it is supplied unweeded and has to be picked by hand.
- On the schedule
- Cut, weeded and taped so each piece transfers as one, then left to settle after it is applied.
Say which side of the glass the sticker goes on and which side it is read from. Those two answers choose the print direction, the white layer and very often the material, before the design has been looked at.The materials library →