Holiday Window Decals: Vinyl and Cling Display Guide

Which Holiday Messages Work Best?

Messages that give a reason to come in work best: a gift idea, a seasonal product, extended hours, a holiday event or an offer. Decoration alone looks festive but does not tell anyone why to stop.

• Retail: gift sets, gift cards, extended holiday hours.
• Restaurants and cafes: seasonal drinks, catering, holiday party booking.
• Salons and spas: gift cards, holiday appointments.
• Service businesses: holiday hours and a thank you to customers.

Keep dates off the cling if you want to reuse it. "Holiday Hours: Open Late" works every year; a specific date works once.

How Big Should Holiday Window Clings Be?

Make each cling big enough to read from the sidewalk and small enough to leave a view inside. On a typical storefront pane, one cling around 24 x 36 inches carries a headline and an image. Smaller clings, starting at 12 x 18 inches, suit doors, corners and accents.

Large single clings are harder to apply without bubbles. For a big pane, two or three medium clings arranged together are easier to hang and to store than one oversized piece.

What Colors Read Best on Holiday Glass?

High contrast colors read best. Holiday reds and greens can look dark against a dim store interior; white, gold and bright accents pop. Look at your window in the late afternoon, when holiday shoppers walk past, and choose colors that stand out from what is behind the glass.

Use your brand colors where you can. A holiday display in your colors looks like your store dressed for the season, not a generic decoration.

How Do You Apply and Store Holiday Clings?

Apply clings to clean, smooth glass on the inside of the window. Clean the glass, mist it lightly with water, place the cling, and smooth it from the center out with a small squeegee to push out the water and air. Let it dry in place.

To store, peel the cling off slowly, lay it back on its backing sheet, and store it flat or loosely rolled in a cool, dry place. Label the box with the season and the window, so next year's setup takes minutes.

Clings do not hold well on textured, frosted or dirty glass. If the cling will not stay, clean the glass again with isopropyl alcohol and dry it fully.

How Do Holiday Windows Work With the Rest of the Store?

Holiday windows work best when the message continues inside. If the window says gift sets, the gift sets should be the first thing a shopper sees inside the door. A Standard Signicade A-frame on the sidewalk with the same message, starting at $267.49, catches shoppers before they reach the window.

For big sale days such as Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, see Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sale signs.

How Do You Light a Holiday Window?

Light the window for the hours when shoppers walk by, which in the holiday season means after dark. Days are short, and a display that looks great at noon disappears at 5 p.m. without light on it.

A simple string of lights around the window frame, or a small spotlight inside aimed at the cling, keeps the message readable in the evening. Light the cling from the front, not from behind; a cling lit only from behind turns into a silhouette.

Warm white light suits most holiday displays and looks inviting from the sidewalk. Put the lights on a timer so the window glows through the evening without anyone remembering to switch it on.

How Should Holiday Hours Appear on the Door?

Put holiday hours on the door, separate from your permanent hours decal. A small cling or a printed card under the regular hours, reading something like "Holiday Hours: Open until 8 p.m. through December 23," answers the question shoppers ask most.

Do not cover or replace the permanent hours. In January, the holiday card comes down and the regular hours are still there. A store hours decal door set keeps the permanent hours and logo on the glass year round.

Do Window Clings Hold in Cold Weather?

Window clings hold best on the inside of the glass, where the temperature stays steady. On very cold glass, condensation can form between the cling and the window and loosen it. Keep the inside of the window dry, wipe off any condensation before applying, and avoid placing a cling right over a heater vent that cycles hot and cold air on the glass.

If a cling starts to lift at a corner, peel it back, wipe the glass and the cling dry, and smooth it down again. Clean, dry glass is the whole secret to a cling that stays put through the season.

When Should You Order Holiday Window Decals?

Order in early November. Clings print in 48 hours after proof approval, but the holiday weeks are the busiest shipping weeks of the year, and you want the display up before shoppers start looking. Approve the proof promptly so production starts right away.

If you plan clings for several holidays, such as fall, winter holidays and Valentine's Day, order them together and store them. One proof round covers the set.

What Should You Check on Holiday Window Proofs?

Check first for the reading side. A cling applied inside the glass must be printed reversed to read from the street. Say so when you order.

Next, check for a year or a date on a cling meant for reuse. Leave it off, or put it on a small separate piece.

Also check for too much on one pane. A holiday window with five messages reads as none of them.

How Do You Order Holiday Window Clings?

Measure each pane, decide which panes get clings, and send your artwork or idea. Artwork prep is $14.99 per item if you send a phone photo or a ChatGPT image, and a free proof comes with every order.

Clings print in 48 hours after proof approval and ship for a flat $10 per product to any US address. In San Antonio, Inline also installs window graphics; everywhere else, clings are made to apply yourself in minutes.