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Opalux Window Film Blog
We give you plenty of options for patterned window film
There are few better-known or more trusted architectural window film brands than Opalux, so it’s only natural that so many organisations turn to us for an assortment of highly specialised options, of which patterned films are just one.
As a matter of fact, you’ve got many more options within our wider range of patterned window film, which enables you to offer a certain degree of privacy to your buildings’ users while still allowing the penetration of a high level of natural light.
These are the window films that all manner of organisations typically choose when they need the right solution for the glazed screens in their reception areas, lobbies, internal office partitions, corridors and other areas where there is a need for both privacy and a light, open atmosphere.
Select from a vast range of patterns
Whatever the current or desired aesthetic in your firm’s office, residential or commercial buildings – or for that matter, for any residential buildings in which this type of window film is to be applied – you are sure to find a suitable option in our range here at Opalux.
Such generics as Squares, Horizontal Stripes, Vertical Stripes, Fade-out, Rice Paper, Frost, Parchment, Dusted, Sandblast, Transparent Colour, Opaque Colour, Dots, Circles, Iceberg, Swirl, Acid Etch and Graduated Stripes can all be specified from us.
What else should you know about our patterned films?
Whether you are an architect, designer or specifier, our patterned window film caters to all of your most pressing practical requirements.
Such film can be removed or replaced in the future, should it be desirable to update the look of the glazed screens to which it is applied. It also provides the degree of modesty that is appropriate for reception areas and meeting rooms, where there is a need for good screening.
Our patterned window film is far from a mere luxury or optional extra, not least as it can even be instrumental in satisfying health and safety requirements for large areas of uninterrupted glazing, such as glass partitions.
Make Opalux your first choice for all manner of window film
You simply can’t expect to find a broader range of higher-quality window film than the range that we are so proud to offer here at Opalux. Nor does any other window film supplier provide such a high standard of ongoing technical support, or such competitive prices.
All that you need to do to arrange a free survey and quotation is call our team, on 0845 026 1125.
Energy control window film that can deliver amazing savings
As the UK's premier brand of architectural window film, here at Opalux, we are proud to be able to bring your organisation options for window film that you may not have previously realised existed. For example, when your premises incorporate a high amount of glazing and require extensive air conditioning, you are likely to appreciate the considerable energy savings that our energy control films enable you to achieve.
In an age in which many firms are conscious of their need to be socially and environmentally responsible, our energy control window film can be instrumental in reducing your own company's carbon footprint. Once the film has been applied to the glass, it can be depended on to reject as much as 80% of the heat of the sun's rays to prevent their entrance into the interior of the building.
This, in turn, usually allows your organisation to lessen its use of air conditioning, whilst reducing the need to pull down the blinds, or to get to grips with complicated automatic controls. It is, instead, a passive medium that does its work from sunrise until sunset.
Which energy control film may best suit your needs?
We offer various categories of heat control films for air conditioned buildings, which is why - if you want to be sure of selecting the film that best matches your own organisation's requirements - we would encourage you to first get in touch with our technical department.
Those options include weatherable solar control films that have been specifically designed to be applied to the exterior of a building, meaning the sun's heat is rejected before it even has the chance to come into contact with the glazing system. This ensures the glazing units themselves are not unnecessarily warmed up, thereby starting to act like radiators that contribute to heat build-up in the interior space.
We are also delighted to be able to offer all-seasons energy control window film incorporating a Low-E coating. These solar control films are internally applied, with the coating being added to the film's interior-facing surface. The result is a product that rejects a high proportion of the heat and glare produced by the sun, while also enhancing worker comfort and lowering energy costs.
Talk to us today about energy control window film
Whatever type of energy control film you might think your company needs, the best idea is to contact our technical staff at the specification stage to ensure you choose the right option first time out - as you can do by calling +44 (0)845 026 1125 or emailing solutions@opaluxwindowfilms.com.
Place your trust in Opalux as your chosen provider of industry-leading and effective, but also competitively priced window film.
5 reasons for Opalux’s stellar industry reputation
When your organisation is in need of window film and you ask others for their recommended brands, one of the names that you can almost guarantee will crop up time and time again is Opalux.
But why is this the case? We look at just five reasons.
- We serve a vast range of clients
In almost any type of business or organisation where windows are present on site, you can find Opalux window film fitted.
We cater to schools, colleges, hotels, government departments, high-security locations and industrial plants. It is also not only end-users who directly contact us, with others including architects, designers, specifiers and main contractors, and even firms in related trades such as security companies and air-conditioning contractors.
2. Our window films cater to almost every need
Whether you require a window film for such a purpose as heat and glare control, security, safety, privacy or even the promotion of your brand or business, we will have a solution for you here at Opalux.
Download our layman’s guide to window films to find out more about our full breadth of expertise and the various categories of sophisticated window films that we can offer.
3. We are synonymous with innovation
We don’t simply sit back and depend on the technology that has always underpinned our window films.
Our window films are manufactured using the most technically advanced processes that you can find today. Furthermore, we are continually seeking out new ways to enhance our window film collection in line with end-users’ ever-evolving needs in a fast-changing world.
4. We’ve been doing this for more than 40 years
Our continuous operation since 1976 means we’ve had plenty of time in which to build up industry renown.
Those 40 years have given us plenty of time to gradually refine our products and service to ensure that we cater brilliantly to our customers’ most specific and demanding requirements in the here-and-now.
5. Our impressive dealer network
Opalux-installing dealers have often worked with the various forms of our window film for many years, and are consequently equipped with all of the product knowledge and on-site experience needed to ensure you get the best possible result from the application of your window film.
Access the Opalux Market Place of professional service providers today to discover the many highly specialised and useful services that they can provide to help you to achieve the perfect outcome from your investment in Opalux window film.
It is thanks to factors like the above that when you want to find a window film supplier in which you can place your utmost trust, there is no need to look any further than Opalux.
The right window film can greatly help your business’s finances
Given the level of investment that window film may represent for your company – especially if your entire premises are to be treated with it – it makes sense that you would ask precisely how you can expect to gain a return on that investment.
Opalux provides all manner of window film for all manner of purposes
As you peruse our complete range of window film here at Opalux, you will begin to appreciate the many ways in which our products can help your company to save or even make money over time.
You may not have been aware, for instance, of the vast range of window graphics that you can have applied to your ordered film, and which could help to promote your brand and create a more positive impression of your business in the minds of prospective customers and clients.
Anti-graffiti window film is another one of our specialities, enabling your organisation to continue presenting the cleanest and most professional image to the public and any direct users of your services. Our anti-graffiti film is especially frequently chosen for mass transit systems, including on buses, trains and ferries.
Protect your windows and everything your company values
It seems an obvious point to make that the right window film can be instrumental in protecting your windows, but it is helpful to appreciate precisely how it can achieve this.
We offer a vast selection of safety and security films, for example, that not only strengthen glass against breakage, but also help to hold in place shards of glass in the event that the affected window does break. This, in turn, makes your buildings’ interiors and any users of the given buildings safer.
However, window film can also assist in protecting your firm’s possessions from the dangers that the outside world poses. Our solar heat and glare control films are a great example of this, filtering the UV rays that pass through glass and in the process, helping to slow down the rate of deterioration of any furniture and furnishings that are exposed to the sun.
Arrange your free site survey today
Opalux is a brand in which you can have the utmost confidence when you are in need of window film – after all, we didn’t become known as the UK’s premier window film brand by accident.
Why hesitate to take advantage of our know-how, vast range of window films and ability to provide you with a free survey and quotation? You can do so right now, by calling us on 0845 026 1125 or sending us an email outside our regular office hours of 8am to 5pm GMT.
3 things that you might not know Opalux window film can do
The vast range of environments in which Opalux window film is installed – from high-end homes, apartments and conservatories to the likes of sports centres, hotels and colleges – should give you a clue as to the incredible variety of purposes that our products can serve.
Here are just three things that our window film can do, of which you may have never been aware.
1. Decorate glass partitions
The windows separating working areas in your office may be at risk of looking dull or even practically invisible if nothing is done to decorate them in some way.
That’s why you may take an interest in the vast assortment of patterned films that we supply, or for that matter, our window graphics encompassing such forms as plotter-cut frost films and digitally printed graphics.
2. Advertise your brand or service
Whatever the sector in which your business is involved and whatever the product or service that you would next like to promote, digitally printed window film can be produced for you that helps to spread awareness and convey the best values of your brand.
Access the Opalux Market Place today to get in touch with professional firms possessing the design, digital printing and installation skills that will enable you to get the most out of the artistic and promotional possibilities that window film presents.
3. Prevent scratches to your glass
If you are responsible for the public areas of a mass transit system – including trains, buses or ferries – where areas of glass are present, you will be all too familiar with the headache of having to replace that glass whenever it is scratched by a member of the public.
For a cost-effective means of ensuring that your glass does not so easily sustain such damage in the first place, take a look at our range of anti-graffiti films. This type of window film incorporates an optically clear transparent sacrificial coating that absorbs graffiti, meaning it is the easily replaceable film – not the comparatively expensive glass – that sustains the actual scratch damage.
Download our layman’s guide to window film today to learn more about the many ways the right film could serve the requirements of your organisation. Remember that we are also always available when you would like to talk to us about technical issues or request a free survey and quotation – simply call 0845 026 1125 now.
Guard against solar damage with Opalux’s exterior-grade window films
One sure mark of a great window film company is an ability to provide not only high-quality interior films, but also exterior-grade architectural films that are effective at protecting a building from the adverse effects of sustained and intense sun exposure.
We are proud to be able to offer truly state-of-the-art exterior-grade window films here at Opalux, drawing upon our experience and expertise gained over decades of offering outdoor-ready films.
With their weatherable construction incorporating additional ultraviolet (UV) barriers, Opalux exterior-grade films stand strong where alternative exterior films degrade, which has long made them a trusted solution among organisations from a vast range of sectors.
Countering the adverse effects of UV
UV radiation into a commercial property has long been undesirable, given how it can compromise worker comfort and productivity while also causing gradual fading and damage to interior fabrics. Our exterior reflective solar control films here at Opalux can therefore be invaluable, not least when they are applied to the exterior face of window glass.
Fixing our exterior-grade window film to the outside of your building means that the heat of the sun can be rejected before it penetrates and is absorbed by the actual glazing unit. This makes them a more efficient solution for reducing solar gain, as the sun’s heat is not allowed to re-radiate to the inside of the building.
However, applying our reflective exterior-grade film to the outside face of your premises’ glass has another key advantage: the reduced risk of thermal fracture. Laminated, Georgian-wired and heavily tinted glass can be especially vulnerable to this, although it can also happen with other glazing in certain circumstances.
Make Opalux your go-to exterior window film company
We offer various options for exterior-grade window film, depending on your other practical requirements, as you can find out by browsing the product categories on our website. Our exterior films bear the film code suffix –eSR, rather than the –iSR used for internally applied films.
Don’t hesitate to contact us on +44 (0) 845 026 1125 or by emailing solutions@opaluxwindowfilms.com to discuss whether a given window film of ours can be applied to the exterior surface of your building’s glass and is a good match to your firm’s other needs. It is at this stage that we will also be able to arrange a free quotation and survey for you.
What marks out the finest window film installers?
When you are looking to have architectural window film installed at your company or organisation’s premises, you will doubtless find yourself with plenty of window film suppliers from which to choose. So, what are the characteristics that you should look out for when comparing such companies?
Extensive industry experience
Opalux has been serving an extremely wide range of customers since its inception in 1976 – and many of the installing dealers with which we work have a similarly long history and broad-based experience.
A track record with many different clients
Do your chosen window film installers possess considerable experience of working alongside not only such end-users as schools, colleges, hospitals, offices, government departments, laboratories, hotels, sports centres and industrial plants, but also the likes of architects, designers, specifiers, main contractors and related trades such as glazing, blinds and security companies?
An in-depth stock of window films
Organisations and individuals like those above seek the services of window film installers with many different priorities in mind. They may be especially interested in window films that can provide solar and energy control, or it may be anti-graffiti protection or privacy that they most need from a window film. Or perhaps the window film is to be installed for solely cosmetic reasons?
Whatever the needs of the organisations or individuals that they serve, window film installers should not only have the product knowledge to know exactly what window film would best answer the customer’s specific needs, but also the ability to quickly source such window film, whether from its own stock or that of a leading manufacturer like Opalux.
Specialised know-how for specialised applications
We are proud here at Opalux to also produce an assortment of more specialised window solutions, including glazing manifestation and digitally printed films. However, when you are looking to purchase such solutions, it’s a good idea to choose window film installers that have the necessary expertise in using them.
Whether you are in need of know-how in digital print films, graphic design, plotter-cut window graphics or all manner of other products, it is well worth asking window film installers whether they possess or are able to call upon such expertise.
It couldn’t be more straightforward to request a free survey and quotation from Opalux – simply complete and submit our simple online contact form, or call 0845 026 1125.
Add interest and vibrancy to your windows by applying our digital print films
While many of those who purchase architectural window films from us do so for obvious practical reasons – for example, to slow down the damage that the sun’s rays can cause to their business’s internal decor or fabrics, or to toughen their glass against breakage – there is also the aesthetic dimension to consider.
It may be that you shop for window films at Opalux with the intention of purchasing film that would leave the casual observer none the wiser as to its presence; alternatively, you may be interested in privacy films that completely prevent someone from being able to peer inside.
But have you ever thought of purchasing digital print films for certain areas of your company’s premises, where there may be an obvious opportunity or need to add inspiring and colourful decoration or promote your brand? If so, Opalux can help.
What are the main reasons to buy digitally printed window films?
Digitally printed films are those that have been printed with some kind of creative, promotional or decorative content, and which can have considerable benefits for a business or organisation beyond straightforward promotion.
Naturally, where your firm’s windows look out onto the street or another location from which they are in prominent view, it may make sense to invest in digital print films that can help to spread awareness of your organisation’s logo, colours and branding among all passers-by who see it.
However, such films can be useful in a wide range of contexts. They may be applied to windows, for example, that present only a dull and uninspiring view of the world outside, adding interest and vibrancy to a working space that may otherwise lack these characteristics. This, in turn, may help to inspire your business’s workers and everyone else who needs to use your building.
Alternatively, you may simply have these films printed for more straightforward advertising – for example, of your company’s latest product or even an upcoming event at your premises.
Order digital print films for your firm from Opalux
Whatever the purpose for which your company may seek to use digital print films, when you work with Opalux, you can be sure of investing in window films that will make the right visual impact on your business’s premises.
Contact Opalux Customer Services today, so that you can be connected to the Opalux Market Place. From here, you will be able to find a professional company capable of providing you with the films that are best-suited to your business’s needs, including in relation to the location and nature of your building and the number of windows that are to be treated.
Our translucent privacy films give your business flexibility and control
Do you wish to ensure a level of privacy at your organisation’s premises, while still enabling your workers and the users of your buildings to enjoy a good level of natural light during the working day? In that case, you may be interested in our translucent privacy films.
Purchase semi-transparent window films from Opalux, and you can exercise greater control over the level and nature of the privacy that those using your buildings can enjoy, while also benefiting from a greater level of flexibility than would be the case if you had simply had privacy glass installed.
These films, after all, mean that an architect or designer can specify the same clear glass throughout the premises, which allows for the later application of privacy films when and where they may be needed.
The strongest-selling Opalux privacy films cater to the most urgent priorities
Our two most popular translucent privacy films are the Opalux Frost Vinyl (PV900) and Opalux Fine Acid Etch Frost (PA902) films. These privacy screening films share a range of advantages, including ease of installation and a high level of light transmission that enables them to provide two-way privacy while maintaining abundant light levels. There is also the option to remove, update or replace them in the future.
These two single ply films can also both incorporate manifestations, as can be invaluable for satisfying Health & Safety requirements for large areas of uninterrupted glazing, such as glass partitions. However, of these two options, it is only the PV900 film that can also incorporate graphics, which may be desirable for adding your company’s new or existing corporate identity to both internal and external glazing.
We have many more privacy films from which you can choose
Such is our expertise and resourcefulness with regard to translucent privacy films that we are also able to give you such options as a graduated frost semi-privacy film. This film graduates from 100% translucent through to completely transparent, which makes it a good choice for spaces where you may wish to obscure one part of a window, but allow viewers to see through another part of that same glass.
There are also options here at Opalux for frosted vinyl plotter-cut graphics, patterned semi-privacy film and digitally printed translucent designer films. The latter may be specified for either total privacy or semi-privacy, and can be sourced by contacting Opalux Technical Services. This will enable you to access the Opalux Market Place, through which you can be put in touch with an Opalux approved state-of-the-art specialist provider.
Contact the Opalux team now to arrange a free survey and quotation in relation to any of our highly rated translucent privacy films.
The necessity of controlling glare in your workplace
85% of the information that we take in is through our sight. This should not be a surprising fact, given how much we learn from such activities as reading books and looking at signs; however, it does place a strong onus on ensuring that your workplace lighting is not producing glare that hinders your workers.
Yes, your workplace can have too much light
When most of us talk about ‘poor lighting’, we do so in reference to insufficient lighting. However, lighting can also be too strong, thereby giving rise to certain adverse effects such as eyestrain, which can hamper workers’ productivity.
Research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has also found that excessive light can have a detrimental effect on mood. You probably already know, from your own experiences, how much your productivity can be compromised when you aren't enjoying your time in the office.
See the light... but not too much of it
If your employees' work involves prolonged periods viewing computer screens, they may suffer what is known as visual display unit – or VDU – glare. While evidence suggests that this does not bring long-term issues, it can cause temporary myopia, which curbs the ability to see distant objects.
Lengthy, uninterrupted periods of viewing a bright computer screen can also throw the body's circadian rhythms into disarray. These rhythms affect how the body reacts to lightness and darkness, so too much time spent in front of an overly bright computer screen may lead to difficulties getting to sleep at night.
You shouldn't dare to glare
All of these problems can be prevented, or at least made less likely to happen when you act to reduce glare on your premises. However, tweaking the arrangements of your office's artificial lighting may not be sufficient, as light coming in through the windows can also be a problem.
When light enters from outside, it can shine onto a computer monitor and wash out what it displays. Fortunately, you can combat this problem by fitting a dedicated glare control window film that can significantly lower the likelihood of a washed-out display.
Call our team now, on 0845 026 1125, to learn more about your options for a glare control window film from Opalux, which is one of the most trusted names in architectural window films.