Clear Plastic Sign Holders: Acrylic vs. PETG Signage
When you buy sign holders or other display holders for your retail business, you have a variety of options to choose from. One of the most important decisions you’ll make is the material used to manufacture your sign and display holders.
Most of our products are available in three materials. Today, we’ll compare two popular material options: clear premium acrylic, and clear extra strength PETG.
Clear Premium Acrylic
Clear premium acrylic is a high quality material that’s ideal for sign holders and other items that will be used in busy, high-traffic areas.
Compared to other materials, such as styrene, clear premium acrylic has several strengths. It’s less rigid and more flexible than styrene, letting it absorb impacts (such as falling to the ground from atop a table or countertop) without cracking or breaking.
This flexibility makes premium acrylic a durable material for sign holders, since bumps are more likely to result in the material flexing than breaking. If you need signs that are highly resistant to snapping and breaking, clear premium acrylic is an obvious choice.
Clear premium acrylic is also resistant to scratching, also because it’s a flexible type of material compared to styrene. While more rigid materials chip and scratch easily under pressure, acrylic is unlikely to develop scratch marks unless a lot of force is deliberately applied.
Finally, clear premium acrylic has a shiny, polished look that can make signage stand out more than other materials. If you want to draw attention to your retail signage, all while maintaining a good level of durability, this is an excellent material to choose for your products.
Clear Extra Strength PETG
Clear extra strength PETG (polyethylene terephthalate) is a strong plastic material that offers a range of unique benefits.
Of all the materials available for our sign holders and other products, PETG is the most durable and likely to withstand impacts and force. It’s light, extremely flexible, and almost impossible to break without a deliberate, dedicated effort.
The biggest advantage of PETG is its durability. Compared to acrylic, which can crack (or even shatter) under even a modest amount of force, PETG can tolerate a large amount of pressure without breaking. In fact, PETG is regarded as virtually unbreakable in normal conditions.
This means that if you need displays that can tolerate being dropped off a countertop or bumped into by shopping carts, PETG is a better option. On average, PETG is about 5-7 times as impact resistant as acrylic plastic of the same thickness.
One disadvantage of PETG is that it’s less scratch resistant than acrylic. This is because PETG has a softer exterior. In most circumstances, PETG won’t develop major scratches; however, it’s less suitable for corner or aisle displays (where scratches are likely) than premium acrylic.
Which material is better?
Both premium acrylic and PETG have significant advantages as materials. Acrylic is much more flexible than styrene, heavier in density and less susceptible to scratches due to its rigid exterior. It also has a shiny look that results in a professional looking display.
PETG is more flexible and lightweight, with an impact strength of 5-7 times that of acrylic. It’s by far the toughest signage material to break, making it great for point of sale displays where there is a risk of holders being knocked to the ground.
Ultimately, the best material depends entirely on the application. If you need a scratch-resistant display for use in retail aisles, acrylic is an excellent material. If you need a durable display for a checkout counter, PETG is more likely to last for the long term.
Need help picking between these two materials for your in-store displays? Contact us to speak to our experienced retail signage and display team and learn more about the best materials for your in-store displays and signage holders.
