Can you still see through it during the day?
The Most Important Question – and Why It Deserves an Honest Answer
A retailer who wants to display digital content in their shop window in the evening has only one concern during the day: Can you still see through it? A hotel asks the same question about its lobby glazing, a car dealership about its showroom.
The short answer is: Yes – when switched on, the film is transparent, and the view through the pane remains. The honest answer is a little more nuanced, and that is precisely what this article aims to provide.
What "transparent" measurably means
Two characteristic values describe the optical quality of a switched film:
Light transmission indicates how much light passes through the pane, including the film. For context: An uncoated single glazing is around 90 percent, typical insulating glass is 70 to 80 percent. The film used by Lumerax allows 97 to 98 percent of light to pass through in its transparent state – so only about two percentage points are lost from the glazing's value. The glass structure installed makes a much greater difference than the film itself.
The haze value describes how much residual light is diffusely scattered. It is the most honest metric: a low single-digit haze value means that the pane appears clear under normal viewing; only upon very close inspection – for example, against the light or in direct comparison with a bare pane – might a hint of silkiness be noticeable.
What passers-by actually perceive
Measurements are one thing, everyday perception another. Practical experience from installations shows that customers who are not aware that a film has been installed generally do not notice it.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, no one compares a pane with its filmed state as they pass by – the reference point is missing. Secondly, the view through a shop window is already shaped by reflections, solar control glazing, and interior lighting; the film is lost in these normal optical properties of a glass facade.
Where the highest demands apply – for example, in luxury boutiques with elaborate product presentations – sampling is recommended: a test area on your own pane, assessed in morning, midday, and evening light.
The View from Inside
Often overlooked, but crucial for employees: The view from the inside out also remains. Offices retain their daylight and their view, sales staff see the street, guests in restaurants see their surroundings.
This fundamentally distinguishes projection film from window coverings or perforated films, which permanently reduce visibility and light incidence.
The Comparison with Alternatives
How does projection glass fare against other digital solutions for windows?
Transparent LED grids achieve high brightness even during the day, but they consist of visible conductor tracks and pixel lines directly in the field of vision – the pane appears technical, and the view is permanently overlaid by the grid structure.
Classic LED walls behind the pane completely block the view and permanently transform the shop window into a screen.
Projection film reverses the logic: practically invisible and fully transparent during the day, specializing in being a visual medium in the evening. It is thus the only solution where the architecture remains untouched during the day.
| Projection Film | Transparent LED | LED Wall Behind Glass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime Visibility | Fully transparent – film virtually invisible | Permanently overlaid by grid and conductor tracks | No visibility – pane is obscured |
| Image Effect | Brilliant at dusk and in darkness | Very bright – even in daylight | Very bright – even in daylight |
| Architectural Impact | Minimal – the pane remains glass | Visible technology on the pane | Shop window permanently becomes a screen |
Conclusion
The concern is understandable – and it can be dispelled: In daytime mode, projection glass remains transparent, measurably close to normal glazing and practically indistinguishable from it in everyday life. The surface only becomes a screen when it is intended to be.
Lumerax provides sample areas and on-site demonstrations precisely for this question – because when it comes to transparency, no data sheet is as convincing as one's own view through the pane.
Further Articles
- What is PDLC film? (Article not yet published – add link once it's online)
- Why does projection on glass work at all?
- Projection glass or LED wall? Why the real question is a different one.