Simple Tips for Designing Window Decals for Your Business

When it comes to physical forms of advertising for your business storefront, window decals and related products play a huge role for many companies. These serve as fantastic ways to capture the attention of both clients and passers-by, drawing them in with attractive themes and basic marketing concepts. 

When you work with an industry leader like Signazon, you have a huge range of window decal products and themes to choose from — everything from vinyl and die-cut decals to window lettering, etched glass options and numerous others. If this is your first time designing or ordering window decals for business needs, here are some of the top areas to consider and keep an eye on while moving through this process. 

Be Cognizant of Your Options

As we mentioned above, there’s a huge variety of window decal types available. Each one is going to have its own distinct advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important that you understand these before moving ahead with any sort of purchase. 

For instance, one of your first choices here will be whether to go with clear decals or those that are white in color. Clear decals are going to be less intrusive on the glass, but may be harder to see from a distance. Conversely, white window decals will be highly visible but may not look as sleek or professional at your storefront. 

Similarly, you’ll need to decide on cutouts vs. full-color options. Cutouts are usually less expensive, but full-color window decals can really make a statement. 

Have a Focused Marketing Objective in Mind

All businesses that use window decals need to have some sort of marketing objective or goal in mind for these products. Whether you’re looking to improve brand awareness, promote a new product/service, draw in more foot traffic or anything else, this needs to be your “north star” while designing window decals. 

From this objective, you can start thinking about things like effective colors, messaging and even placement of the decal on your storefront window. 

Sizing Elements to Consider

Early on in your selection process, you’re going to need to have some sort of idea about the size of window decal you want. This is going to be dictated by a number of factors, including: 

  • The size/amount of glass you have to work with 
  • How visible you want the decal to be from different angles/distances 
  • How much of the glass you want to cover 
  • Placement of other elements (like doors, signage, etc.) in proximity to the decal 

All of these factors should be considered before any final sizing decisions are made. You should also be thinking about the general costs associated with different sizes — often, larger decals will be more expensive to produce. 

Here are just a few of the common templates used among businesses for their window decals:

  • Multi-panel: If your storefront is outfitted with several repeating window panels, a common tactic is to have different decals for each one. This allows you to change up your messaging/design on a regular basis, without having to replace the entire decal every time. 
  • Static cling: These are often used for temporary window decals (like those promoting a special sale) and can be removed easily when necessary. 
  • Etched glass: For a more permanent, high-end look, many businesses opt for etched glass decals. These are usually quite expensive but can really make a statement. 
  • Door decals: If you want to draw attention to your door specifically (perhaps you have a special sale or promotion going on), a door decal is a great option. 
  • Privacy covers: In other settings, window decals are used more for privacy purposes than marketing. If this is the case for your business, be sure to select a style/design that will adequately obscure views into your storefront, such as frosted glass or opaque decals. 

Readability is Vital

For your window decal to be effective, it needs to be readable from a distance. This generally means large letters and minimal copy — you want passers-by to be able to understand your message quickly and easily. 

To this end, be sure to use high-contrasting colors (like black text on a white background) and avoid anything too busy or cluttered. If you can, have someone walk by your storefront to see if they can read/understand the decal from different angles and distances. 

Color Selection

Speaking of color selection, it’s vital for several themes here, including readability and overall aesthetic appeal. Different colors are going to evoke different emotions in viewers, so you’ll want to be strategic in your choices. 

For example, blue is often seen as calming and trustworthy, while red is more energetic and exciting. Yellow is associated with happiness, while green brings to mind nature/the outdoors. Consider what sort of message/feeling you want to communicate with your window decal, then choose colors accordingly. 

You should also be strategic about any other elements in proximity to your decal — if you have a brightly-colored door, for example, you might want to tone down the colors used in your decal so as not to overwhelm viewers. 

Be Careful With Image Selection

One of the great things about window decals is the way they allow you to incorporate images/graphics into your design. This can be a great way to further capture attention and communicate your message, but you need to be strategic about the images you select. 

Ideally, you want something that’s going to be eye-catching and relevant to your business/industry. It should also be simple enough that it can be understood quickly (remember, people will only have a few seconds to process your decal as they walk or drive by). 

If you’re not sure what sort of image to select, consider using your company logo or mascot. These are already familiar to many viewers and will help create a connection between your decal and your brand.

Placement Matters

Last but not least, it’s important to think about where you’re actually going to place your window decal on your storefront. In some cases, you might have several different options to choose from. 

Think about things like the angle of view and the amount of natural light in each location. You also want to make sure the decal is placed high enough that it won’t be obstructed by things like plant life or furniture. 

If you’re not sure where to place your decal, step outside and look at your storefront from different angles. This will give you a better idea of the most effective location for capturing attention. 

These are just a few simple tips to keep in mind when designing window decals for your business. By taking the time to create a well-designed decal, you can really maximize its impact and effectiveness.