Perforated window film 50/50: how it works and how to order it printed

Perforated window film lets a wrap design run across glass without blacking out the view from inside. Wrap shops use it on vehicle rear and side windows and on storefront glass. This guide covers what a 50/50 pattern is, how the one-way effect works, why the film is printed on the outside face, and how to order perforated window vinyl printed for your jobs.

What 50/50 means

Perforated window film is vinyl with a regular pattern of small holes punched through it. The two numbers describe the split between material and holes. A 50/50 film has a 50% open area: half of the face is printable vinyl and half is holes. Avery Dennison, for example, lists perforated window films in 50/50, 60/40 and 65/35 patterns, with open areas of 50%, 40% and 35%.

More open area means a clearer view through the film from inside. Less open area means more printed surface and a stronger image. Contra Vision, which makes one-way vision films, describes this as a trade-off between image strength and through-vision. Avery Dennison says its 50/50 pattern is intended for vehicle windows and other applications where visibility through the graphic is important.

How the one-way effect works

The film has two different faces. The outer face is the print side. The inner face is dark, usually black. The film is installed on the outside of the glass with the graphic facing out and the dark side facing in.

From outside, the eye picks up light reflecting off the printed vinyl and reads the graphic. From inside, the dark face reflects very little, so the eye looks past it and through the holes to the brighter scene outside.

Light levels matter. Contra Vision notes that the degree of privacy and through-vision varies with the light levels on either side of the window. The graphic reads best when the printed side is the brighter side, which is the normal daytime condition for a vehicle or a storefront. Set your customer's expectations on this before the job, especially for storefronts that are lit from inside after dark.

Why it is printed on the outside face

Perforated window film is an exterior-mount product. Avery Dennison describes its perforated window films as being for exterior-mount one-way visual panels. The print has to sit on the bright side of the glass, facing the people you want to see it, with the dark face toward the people who need to see out. On a vehicle that means the film goes on the outside of the rear and side glass.

Because the film sits outside, the holes are exposed. Film makers offer optically clear overlaminates for perforated film for this reason. 3M says its overlaminate for perforated window graphics protects against dust, water and dirt that may collect in the perforated areas, and Avery Dennison pairs its perforated films with optically clear DOL overlaminates.

Our 50/50 perforated window film is printed and shipped unlaminated. If a job needs a laminated perf, ask us before you order.

Check window rules before you quote

Rules for what can cover vehicle windows vary by state. Do not assume a film that is fine on a rear window is allowed on front side glass. Check the law where the vehicle will be registered and driven, and put the windows you are covering in writing on your quote.

How to design for perf

• Treat the window as part of the vehicle side. Continue the background across the glass so the wrap reads as one piece.
• Remember that half of the printed surface is holes. The image is less dense than the same print on solid film, so bold shapes and large type tend to hold up better than fine detail.
• Give each window its own piece with bleed, the same as any other panel. Our file setup guide asks for at least 2 inches of bleed on every edge of vehicle artwork.
• Build files in CMYK at 100 to 150 ppi at full size, the same as the rest of the wrap. Storefront windows are viewed up close and need higher resolution.

How to order it printed

Perforated window film prints on 60 inch rolls with a 58 inch maximum print width. Each panel is billed at the full 60 inch roll width times its length, at $5.95 per sq ft. Glass wider than 58 inches in both directions is paneled in the direction that uses the least material, and small window pieces nest across the roll.

1. Measure each window and add bleed.
2. Enter the sizes on the perforated window film page and upload your files. Uploads up to 5 GB are accepted at order time.
3. A person checks every file and sends a proof. Nothing prints until you approve it.
4. Prints ship rolled and boxed from Snohomish, WA 2 business days after proof approval. Blind shipping to your customer is available on request.

Ordering is for approved trade accounts. If you do not have one yet, apply for the trade program. To see how window pieces add to the billed square footage of a full job, read how much vinyl it takes to wrap a vehicle, and check the pricing page for current rates on every film.