Window Clings Are Everywhere – In Retail Businesses, Windows Of Colleges And Universities, Hospitals, And More.

We’re so used to seeing them, we really don’t give them a second thought. Although window clings might seem like stickers, they are actually different. In fact, a window cling does not include any adhesive like a car bumper sticker would. Instead, custom window clings are designed to easily to remove or swap out. But how are window clings created?

Here are some options to consider before designing and printing your window clings:

Will the window cling be 1-sided or 2-sided?

Do you want the cling to have art on both sides or just one? Will the art be different or the same?

Will the window cling be mounted inside or outside?

Consider the placement of the window cling – will it be exposed to the elements or indoor? Does the cling (or window perf) attach to the outside of the window or the inside? This is important in determining where the adhesive is applied.

What direction will the window cling face?

Does your design include directional arrows? For example, if you buy a garage sale sign with an arrow, you have to make sure the arrow is pointing the way you want it to, or you have to move the sign altogether. It’s important to consider this before printing. Also consider whether or not the cling faces in or out, and keep in mind whether or not the cling has different art on each side.

Will you print on clear or white material?

Will the window cling be printed on clear material, which requires opaque white ink and can be more costly, or will you print on white material?

Next, consider the different window cling construction techniques:

4mil Removable Vinyl like sticker paper, but made from more durable vinyl. Comes with a removable, pre-applied adhesive

• Great for 1 sided clings with inside facing/inside mount or outside facing/outside mount
• Lower cost

6mil Semi-Rigid Removable Vinyl

• Same as the 4mil removable vinyl above, but thicker and more rigid
• Very easy to apply without bubbles or air pockets

4mil Clear Removable Vinyl

• Same as the first 4mil removable vinyl, but clear
• Allows for more creativity in design, requires the use of opaque white ink for opaque areas

8mil Blockout Poly

• Ideal solution for two sided clings
• Ability to print same or different art on two sides
• Adhesive must be applied after printing, more costly than single sided
• Required for inside mount/outside facing or outside mount/inside facing applications (if you think about it, the ink must be between the substrate and the adhesive in these situations)

Bonus tip on window perf:

Perforated vinyl can be used similar to the applications above. Vinyl will come with perforated holes in the 4mil variety with adhesive and 8mil w/o adhesive. In either case, an over laminate should be applied to image to prevent rainwater and dirt from collecting in all the holes.

Now that you have the inside scoop on window clings, contact the pros at Kingston Printing to get started!