Use Car Window Graphics to Promote your Brand and Be Seen Around Town!

What are car window graphics?

Car window graphics are perforated window decals allowing for one-way vision through windows — without them, drivers wouldn’t be able to see out of their side or rear windows. They contain hundreds, or in some cases, thousands of tiny perforated holes that create great vision for the driver inside the vehicle, but still a full image to those on the outside of the car. For window coverings to be legal, the perforations need to remove between 30% and 50% of the vinyl used.

Advantages of window graphics

• Utilize highly visible promotional space on your vehicle
• Attract the attention of hundreds, if not thousands of people each day
• Reinforce your brand daily
• More subtle than a full car wrap
• Protection against theft — can see out but not into the trunk.

Where can window graphics be placed?

Window decals can be installed on any flat, smooth surface of a vehicle. Side window and rear window decals are extremely visible and can be customized to include your logo, brand and company messaging. They’re an affordable and long-lasting form of advertising that can quickly and easily be changed or upgraded as required.

Customers will sometimes have rear window decals installed at the same time as having a partial or full vinyl wrap placed on their cars. Other customers opt to only install a rear window decal or a side window decal, for a more subtle approach to advertising. 

Benefits of the professional window decal installation

• No air bubbles
• Crease free
• Installed in a clean, well-lit workshop
• Guaranteed to be straight and central

Legalities around window graphics

With their prime consideration being safety, some states are more lenient than others about window graphics. Check the laws in your state before installing any decals, stickers, or vinyl wraps on your windows.

The state of Illinois only allows stickers and decals to be attached to windows if they don’t restrict the driver’s view of the road in any way. This means they must be small and placed in the corners or bottom of the windshield. Perforated window films are permitted on the back windshield, but not on the driver or passenger’s windows.

Full or partial rear window graphics

If you don’t feel comfortable covering the whole of your back windshield, it’s an option to install partial rear window graphics. This may cover just one side of the windscreen, or be a narrow strip of perforated vinyl that sits in the middle of the windshield.

How to look after a car window decal

Graphics on car windows don’t require any maintenance but they do require adherence to a few rules to ensure longevity:

• Clean off dirt and grease as quickly as possible 
• Avoid automated car washes
• Hold power washers at least two feet away from the window
• Clean with a soft, lint-free cloth
• Avoid scrubbing vinyl with anything abrasive 

Cost of car window decals

Window decals are priced by the square foot so the larger your back windshield and side windows, the more expensive the job. Many different brands produce rear window decals. At Tinting Chicago, we only work with Avery Dennison and 3M films as we consider them to be the highest quality and offer the best value for money. 

It’s worth paying a little more for high-quality brands that offer better longevity, rather than just opting for the lowest price.

Custom designed rear window graphics

At Tinting Chicago we have an experienced in-house design team whose job is to create custom-designed car decals. Supply them with your business name, logo, brand colors, and any other calls to action for them to produce a mockup that fits your specifications. Through the years they’ve designed promotional window stickers for hundreds of vehicles, including cars, vans, and trucks. Give us a call today and get started on your design.

Timeframe for installing a rear window graphic

It takes professionals only a matter of hours to install window graphics on most vehicles. The fact that graphic lettering can be applied and removed from vehicles so quickly makes it far preferable to any form of painted promotion.

The durability of rear window graphics

If installed correctly, high-quality car window decals last for between 5 and 7 years before they need to be removed and replaced. They’re designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, as well as repel UV rays, protecting them from color fading.

Is a rear window graphic easy to remove?

Using the following tools, an entire decal can be removed quickly, without leaving any adhesive behind. Be careful not to hurt yourself or scratch the glass surface in the process:

• Stainless steel razor blade with a flat edge to lift the edges
• Glass cleaner spray or regular soap for lubrication
• Soft lint-free cloth

Rear window graphics and windshield wipers

Customers often ask us whether their windshield wipers will still be as effective with rear window graphics — the simple answer to that question is, yes! A vinyl film on your back windshield won’t interfere in any way with the effectiveness of your windshield wipers.