Whether it’s decals on a car or vinyl on a storefront, custom window graphics are great for getting customers and grabbing attention! Today, we’ll look at how to design and set up custom window graphics for your business, as well as ways to use them to increase your clientele.
Remember that custom window graphics, like everything else, should be consistent with your brand style guide. If you don’t have one and would like help developing a style guide, ask the Branditt team for help!
What are Custom Window Graphics?
Window graphics, along with window wraps and door wraps, are a glass friendly way to visually enhance the blank and empty space created by windows and doors. Use window graphics to welcome fans to your facility on exterior doors, ticketing windows, interior glass, and more. Transform your storefront or promote specific products and promotions with retail window graphics.
Window graphics can be a very practical branding, promotional, and sponsor signage solution as they can provide an added sense of privacy while still conveying the desired message.
Types Of Window Graphics
Window Decals – Window decals are adhesive window graphics. One side is covered in an adhesive that can be used to attach it to the window. This can be done on the outside, the inside or even from the inside facing out (this last option is called “inside glass” and is described below). This adhesive material means that your actual window sign is “semi-permanent.” This just means that when installing the decal there will be some wiggle room to adjust it as needed but once the decal’s adhesive kicks in it will be extremely difficult to reposition. These types of window decals come in three different types which are outlined below.
Opaque Window Decals – Opaque decals obscure visibility from either side of the window. Rather than having “clear” portions of your sign, wherever the design does not cover it will be an opaque white window vinyl. The best way to describe this is like a frosted window in a bathroom. While it isn’t completely blacked out the visibility through these is obscured by the opacity of the non-printed area.
Clear Window Decals – Your decal will be clear everywhere that the design itself is not printed. These clear vinyl decals are great for storefronts and doors to allow two-way visibility – assuming your design doesn’t cover the entire surface area of the actual decal. Also, make sure that any design on these types of decals has a strong contrasting color to ensure smaller decals can be seen from a distance if so desired.
Perforated Window Decals – Perforated window decals are designed to allow one-way visibility. In other words, these are signs that allow you to see from the inside of your business to the outside but not vice versa. Therefore, you can still advertise your store hours, business logo or brand, and deals while seeing out of your store. Customers approaching your store will be able to see the decals clearly, but won’t be able to see inside of the store. This is achieved by printing onto a material on one side of the sign that is perforated with tiny holes. These perforations won’t affect the aesthetics of your sign while creating one-way visibility that many business owners desire.
These are also commonly used for vehicle window graphics to maintain driver visibility.
Static Clings – Unlike a traditional sticker or window decal, static clings have no adhesive side. Rather, they attach through the static charge of the sign itself and the window. These signs are easily removed and reapplied in different situations. They are often used in such places as a sneeze guard inside a restaurant in order to advertise deals or soups of the days. Static clings can also be clear or opaque in nature.
Cut Vinyl or Vinyl Lettering – If the design is a collection of individual pieces, then the best option could be cut vinyl or vinyl lettering. These individual pieces would be cut exactly to shape with no border and then could be applied to the appropriate surface as individual pieces rather than a single decal.
A popular option for branding windows and doors with window graphics and door graphics is to use a frosted vinyl version of custom vinyl lettering that gives the appearance of etched glass. This is a great choice if you are looking to visually enhance areas of your facility at a lower cost than a renovation. Window graphics can also be printed on a variety of opaque materials if complete privacy is needed.
The options for window graphics, window wraps, and door wraps are truly endless and are an easy way to make a big impact at your facility.
Designing Your Window Graphics
There are a variety of things to consider when designing and deciding the proper window graphics for your car or business. For example, it’s important, when choosing a window graphic, to keep in mind the end use of your sign.
Here are a few things to consider:
Do you want to be able to see out of your window? If so, consider using a clear decal.
Do you want people to be able to see in? No? Try using a perforated decal or an opaque decal.
Are you looking for something that’s aesthetically pleasing, but gives some privacy? You may want to consider frosted window decals.
Window Graphics Color and Imagery
The color you make your decal is up to you. For stand-alone text on clear decals or clear window clings, the best color to make your text is white. Generally, whether the sign is going on the front or the inside of your window, white offers the greatest contrast and best readability.
If white isn’t your style, be sure to use colors that offer a contrast between the dark window and the lettering. Cool colors like blue, purple, and black typically aren’t easily viewable outside while whites and yellows provide the best readability.
Black lettering does work well on clear decals in well-lit, indoor areas. Because the decal is indoors, it is not affected by the sun’s glare and therefore, it’s easily readable. It’s important to note, however, that if interior lights are off in the building, the black lettering is not as easily readable due to the lack of contrast.
Opaque decals and decals with colored background provide a larger range of colors that can be used. Opaque decals naturally have a white background and therefore contrast isn’t needed as drastically as if you were using a clear decal. Darker colors work well on the white background, offering contrast and readability.
Decals can also be ordered with a colored background. These also offer color options. Signs.com can print any color you’d like for both the background of the decal and the lettering itself. It’s important also to make sure that there is enough contrast between the background color and the lettering so that the text can be read from a distance.
Images can also be put on decals to showcase your product or service. When using a photo on a decal, be sure that the photo is clear and easy to understand. Make sure the photo had vibrant, eye-catching colors. If you’re using text or a logo on the photo, be sure to place the text or logo in the area that provides the most contrast, making your logo or text stand out.
Typography
Next to contrast, font sizes have the biggest impact on readability of a sign, although it’s not quite as complicated. Here’s the rule of thumb: bigger is always better when it comes to readability.
The larger the letters on the sign, the further away they can be read.
However, we understand that sometimes you don’t have the space to make every line of text four feet tall. The best font sizes are usually at least .75” tall for important information, and at least .5” tall for secondary information.
Another crucial part of designing your window graphics is the font that you select. There are five major types of fonts: serif fonts, slab serif fonts, sans serif fonts, script fonts, and handwritten fonts. Explore all of these to determine which ones work best for your flavor of business and readability.
Your font type and size will be a large part of determining how well people like your window graphics.
Logo Placement
Your logo is the face of your brand and ties into nearly every presence your business has – both online and offline. Where you put your logo makes a difference in how often it’s seen. The importance of logo placement ties directly back into how people see your brand and how memorable your company is.
If you have your custom vinyl window graphics on your car’s rear window, for example, then it may be important to include a logo for recognition and branding purposes. Likewise, if you have window graphics on a storefront window, or a glass door, those are generally good places to place a logo for branding.
Although it’s important to establish your brand, you also don’t want to post your logo just anywhere. People don’t appreciate feeling as though they’re receiving a hard sell, so you should avoid such tactics in your marketing. There are times when placing the logo at the bottom of an email in small scale works, as well as putting it at the top of the email in large scale.
Ways To Use Custom Window Graphics
There are multiple ways that you can use your custom vinyl window graphics to help your business.
Sales boosting
Window graphics give you a focal point through branding. They capture a customer’s interest, and the customer walks in, out of curiosity. You’ve captured their interest and now they’re in already contemplating “what to buy,’ instead of a “will I buy.” That’s the difference in having sales funnel, it starts once a customer is within sight of your business and ends at the register.
Otherwise, your storefront is just another window indistinguishable from the rest.
Capture Foot Traffic
The average person has the thought that window signage is just informational. Nothing more than an oversized business card. But with a little imagination, if you use window lettering and or decals to your advantage, you can do a lot more than that.
With a well-thought-out strategy and marketing plan for your graphics, you can draw interest and intrigue. You can draw the attention of foot traffic and let them know there’s a roaring business inside just ready to do what you do, be it a hip stop for lunch or coffee, a print shop or anything.
The way you do this is by capturing their attention with your window graphics. That means no boring, business card template. Instead, use your own custom art graphics specifically designed for your business. In the modern era, you need to be current and unafraid to be bold and even colorful.
Informational
The informative use of the window lettering is classical at its heart, without basic information a customer wouldn’t know what time you’re open or closed if you’re having a special promotion, or even what your social media link is so they can share their experience at your location. Windows can be an untapped resource in gaining new customers and clients.
Establish your Brand
Before you established your business, the storefront was dull, boring, decrepit and undifferentiated from the rest of the block. Would you step into a business that had no information on their window or was otherwise bland? Window decals are an effective method to BRAND your business with simple graphics. They’re your “man on the street” advertising.
Conclusion
You can get your decals custom designed and printed at Branditt! Windows simultaneously protect us from the elements and give us something to look at. A room without windows is not a room, but a closet. Windows create the illusion of more space, making your shopfront or business both more open and more comfortable. They let in wondrous natural light.
Decals and stickers offer you the opportunity to make your windows do even more. Customized window graphics are a fantastic way to help your business increase its visibility and gather a customer base.
If you have any questions of concerns, feel free to ask! At Branditt, we can provide you with exceptional custom printed vinyl and we have plenty of experience and expertise to help solve any problems that you may have with setting up and designing custom window graphics.