Coatings are provided for outdoor signage and indoor LED screens for the same purpose. To reduce the glare of the light source reflected on it. The same technology is used for coating reading glasses too, when the light hits the reading lens, both in front and the back and bounces off it, enveloping the wearer's eyes in a bright glare. Coming back to outdoor signage and home/office LED screens, this glare can cause harm to the eyes. Tired eyes syndrome results from being exposed to reflected glare from a light source beaming on the computer screen.
What is the solution?
Anti-glare coatings solve this problem effectively. These are polycarbonate sheets that are pasted on the screens. These sheets have tiny particles spread out on the surface, making it uneven. When light hits this, the particles cause a diffusion of the light because the rays are reflected at different angles. This reduces the effect of bright sunlight and improves the readability of outdoor signage displays that are digital and perforce require LED screens.
Anti-glare and anti-reflective coatings
There is a coating called the anti-reflective. Anti-reflective and anti-glare are used interchangeably as they serve the same purpose - deflecting the reflected rays of the sun or light source away from the viewer's eyes. However, the treatment accorded to the rays of light that fall on the reflective surface are somewhat different. With their respective coatings, the light rays behave differently in both the cases. The resulting diffusion is scattered in the anti-glare coating, while the reflected rays are organized away from the viewer's eyes in anti-reflective coatings. Anti-reflective coatings are a series of optical coatings which bend the reflected rays, reducing the overall reflection much more effectively than anti-glare.
Image resolution is compromised in anti-glare while there is better clarity in anti-reflective films. Anti-glare is a cheaper and therefore more popular option.
What are the features of these coatings?
Apart from reducing the glare factor, these coatings have other utilities:
� They protect the screen from abrasions
� They are resistant to graffiti writing, chemicals and withstand impact to a certain extent
� They can be easily maintained and are weather proof.
� They have a matt or frosted look
� They are made of polycarbonate and/or acrylic
What are their applications?
They are used in digital signage, POP displays and other displays like metro displays and floor plan displays at malls etc.
They can also be used as computer and TV screen protectors.
Maintenance of anti-glare and anti-reflective coatings:
Maintenance issues come up only when reading glasses are treated with these coatings. It makes sense, then because reading ability is something that is so focused and requires perfect clarity. There are special solutions for this and should not be treated with normal cleaners, bleach, vinegar, alcohol, etc. Even a warm water rinse and wipe down with microfiber cloth is sufficient as far as maintenance is concerned. For signage and displays, they are resistant to most threats like abrasions, weather etc. Anti-reflective coatings are good overall, but are quite expensive. It would be a better option to go for anti-glare coatings with the benefits almost comparable. Excelite has some great options for signages and LED Displays.
By Satvik Mittal
Article Source: A Case for Reducing the Glare on Signage and LED Screens
What is the solution?
Anti-glare coatings solve this problem effectively. These are polycarbonate sheets that are pasted on the screens. These sheets have tiny particles spread out on the surface, making it uneven. When light hits this, the particles cause a diffusion of the light because the rays are reflected at different angles. This reduces the effect of bright sunlight and improves the readability of outdoor signage displays that are digital and perforce require LED screens.
Anti-glare and anti-reflective coatings
There is a coating called the anti-reflective. Anti-reflective and anti-glare are used interchangeably as they serve the same purpose - deflecting the reflected rays of the sun or light source away from the viewer's eyes. However, the treatment accorded to the rays of light that fall on the reflective surface are somewhat different. With their respective coatings, the light rays behave differently in both the cases. The resulting diffusion is scattered in the anti-glare coating, while the reflected rays are organized away from the viewer's eyes in anti-reflective coatings. Anti-reflective coatings are a series of optical coatings which bend the reflected rays, reducing the overall reflection much more effectively than anti-glare.
Image resolution is compromised in anti-glare while there is better clarity in anti-reflective films. Anti-glare is a cheaper and therefore more popular option.
What are the features of these coatings?
Apart from reducing the glare factor, these coatings have other utilities:
� They protect the screen from abrasions
� They are resistant to graffiti writing, chemicals and withstand impact to a certain extent
� They can be easily maintained and are weather proof.
� They have a matt or frosted look
� They are made of polycarbonate and/or acrylic
What are their applications?
They are used in digital signage, POP displays and other displays like metro displays and floor plan displays at malls etc.
They can also be used as computer and TV screen protectors.
Maintenance of anti-glare and anti-reflective coatings:
Maintenance issues come up only when reading glasses are treated with these coatings. It makes sense, then because reading ability is something that is so focused and requires perfect clarity. There are special solutions for this and should not be treated with normal cleaners, bleach, vinegar, alcohol, etc. Even a warm water rinse and wipe down with microfiber cloth is sufficient as far as maintenance is concerned. For signage and displays, they are resistant to most threats like abrasions, weather etc. Anti-reflective coatings are good overall, but are quite expensive. It would be a better option to go for anti-glare coatings with the benefits almost comparable. Excelite has some great options for signages and LED Displays.
By Satvik Mittal
Article Source: A Case for Reducing the Glare on Signage and LED Screens
