Every business already owns advertising space it is not using: the glass. A storefront window on a Los Angeles street is seen by thousands of people a week, and covering part of it with graphics costs less per month than almost any other way to reach them. Here is what window graphics cost to run, the materials that suit each job, and the mistakes that waste the glass.
The cost-per-month arithmetic
Take a typical storefront job: a set of printed graphics across the front windows, designed, printed and installed. Suppose it costs $900 and stays up for three years. That is $25 a month, for every hour of every day, aimed at people who are physically outside your door. A single month of most paid advertising costs more and reaches people who may be nowhere near you. Even a short-term promotion — a $300 window graphic for a three-month sale — comes to about $3 a day.
The numbers change with size and material, but the shape of the comparison does not: window graphics are the lowest-cost advertising a storefront can buy, because the space is free and the print lasts.
Materials and when to use them
| Material | Best for | Typical life |
|---|---|---|
| Cut vinyl lettering | Hours, phone, services, logo — the essentials on every storefront | 5+ years |
| Printed adhesive vinyl | Full-colour images and promotions on part of the glass | 3–5 years outdoors |
| Perforated window film | Full-window images seen from outside, clear view from inside | 2–3 years |
| Frosted / etched-look film | Privacy for offices, clinics and gyms, with logos cut through | 7+ years |
| Static cling | Offers that change monthly | Weeks to months, reusable |
What to put on the glass
- Who you are and what you do, readable from a moving car: name, one line of services, phone.
- Hours and “Open” — the most-searched fact about any local business, answered at the door.
- One image that says the category without words: the dish, the car, the smile.
- Leave clear glass. People want to see inside a restaurant or a shop before entering; cover 30–50% of the glass, not all of it, unless privacy is the point.
Mistakes that waste the window
- Small text nobody can read from the sidewalk — keep letters 3 inches and up for the essentials.
- Cheap calendered vinyl on a south-facing window; it shrinks and cracks in a year of Los Angeles sun. We use cast vinyl and UV-rated inks outdoors.
- Installing over dirty glass or in the wrong temperature — bubbles and lifting edges follow. Professional installation is part of our price.
- Forgetting the inside: graphics on the inside face of the glass are protected from weather and vandalism and read just as well.
Permits
Window graphics are generally treated as temporary or window signs and do not need a building permit in most cases, but some Los Angeles districts and landlords limit how much glass can be covered. We check before design — see sign permits.
Frequently asked questions
How long does installation take? Most storefronts are measured one day and installed within a week; installation itself takes a few hours.
Can I see it before it is printed? Yes — you approve a mock-up on a photo of your own windows.
Do you remove old graphics? Yes, including baked-on vinyl from previous tenants.
Ready to put your windows to work? Call (818) 723-4047 or request a quote; more examples on our window graphics and storefront signs pages.
Related: vehicle graphics and vehicle wraps, vehicle lettering vs. vehicle wrap, and recent trailer and cart wraps.