Do you put window clings on the inside or outside?

Inside, nearly always. The glass protects the cling, and the design is printed in reverse so it reads correctly from the street. On the outside, a cling belongs only on protected glass, such as a covered entrance.

Do decals need to be mirrored?

A decal or cling that goes on the inside of a window and is read from outside needs a mirrored print, or the words come out backwards. One that goes on the outside of the glass, on a mirror, or is read from the side it is on is printed normally.

Can you put window film on the inside?

Many window films go on the inside, and so do window clings. If you mean a tint or privacy film with adhesive, follow that film's own instructions; a printed cling is a different product, with no adhesive, that holds by static and peels off again.

Do window clings stick to walls?

No. A cling holds on smooth, clean glass, mirrors and polished acrylic. A painted or textured wall will not keep one up; for a wall, use a poster or a vinyl decal.

How do you reuse window clings?

Peel it from a corner, rinse off any dust and let it dry, store it flat between two sheets of paper, and put it up again on clean glass with a mist of plain water and a squeegee from the center out.

How do you get window cling residue off the glass?

A cling has no adhesive, so it leaves none. A cloudy patch is dust or a dried water mark that a damp cloth wipes off. Sticky residue comes from adhesive products such as vinyl decals or tape: warm soapy water and a plastic scraper or an old card usually lifts it.

Do window clings go inside or outside?

Inside, almost always. A window cling goes on the room side of the glass and is read from the street through it: the glass protects it from rain, wind and hands, and static holds best on a smooth, clean pane. Because you then look at the cling from behind, the design has to be printed mirrored (Mirror print) so it reads correctly from outside. Put one on the outside only on protected glass, such as a covered entrance, and print it normally (Normal).

	Inside the glass	Outside the glass
Rain and wind	The glass is in between	Reaches the cling unless the glass is covered, such as a covered entrance
Print choice	Mirror: printed in reverse so it reads from the street	Normal: printed as it reads
Who can reach it	People inside the building	Anyone on the sidewalk
Best for	Storefronts, glass doors, office glass	Protected panes only

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Inside or outside the glass

Inside is where a cling does its best work. The glass keeps rain, wind and passing hands off it, and a cling lies flat against a smooth pane, which is all static needs. It is also the practical choice when a landlord or a building limits what goes on the outside of the glass.

Outside is possible on protected glass, such as a covered entrance or a window under a deep awning, but a cling has no adhesive, and a fully exposed pane in rain and wind is not what it is made for. A design that has to live on exposed glass wants a vinyl decal with adhesive, which is a different product.

When the print has to be mirrored

A cling on the inside of a window is seen from behind: from the sidewalk you look at the design through the glass. Printed the normal way it would read backwards, so the design is printed in reverse. On our calculator that is Mirror print, selected by default. The rule is short: mirrored when the cling goes on the inside of the glass and is read from outside; normal when it is read from the side it is put on, such as a cling on a mirror or a sign on a glass door read from inside the room.

Printers handle this differently, so read what yours expects before you send a file. Here you send the design as it should read and choose Mirror or Normal, and the free proof shows the orientation before anything prints.

Will window clings stick to walls or other surfaces?

A cling holds by static, and static needs a surface that is smooth, flat and clean. That means glass, mirrors and polished acrylic. A painted or textured wall, wood and anything with a grain or a pattern will not keep a cling up, and neither will a frosted or etched pane. For a wall the product is a poster or a vinyl decal, not a cling.

Reusing and storing a cling

Lift one corner and peel slowly: the cling comes away in one piece, with no tools. If it has gathered dust, rinse it under cool water and let it dry, then lay it flat between two sheets of paper or inside a book rather than rolled or folded. To put it up again, mist clean glass with plain water, lay the cling on while it is wet, slide it into place and squeegee from the center out.

A cling has no adhesive, so there is no residue to remove. If the glass looks cloudy afterwards, it is usually dust or a dried water mark, and a damp cloth takes it off. Sticky residue on a window comes from adhesive products such as vinyl decals and tape; warm soapy water and a plastic scraper or an old card usually lifts it.

Pages for this job

Inside window clings — printed to read from the street
Reverse printed window clings — what Mirror print does to a design
How to apply static cling window decals — the wet method, step by step
Custom static cling stickers and window clings — sizes and print choice in the calculator

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Questions people ask

Do you put window clings on the inside or outside?: Inside, nearly always. The glass protects the cling, and the design is printed in reverse so it reads correctly from the street. On the outside, a cling belongs only on protected glass, such as a covered entrance.
Do decals need to be mirrored?: A decal or cling that goes on the inside of a window and is read from outside needs a mirrored print, or the words come out backwards. One that goes on the outside of the glass, on a mirror, or is read from the side it is on is printed normally.
Can you put window film on the inside?: Many window films go on the inside, and so do window clings. If you mean a tint or privacy film with adhesive, follow that film's own instructions; a printed cling is a different product, with no adhesive, that holds by static and peels off again.
Do window clings stick to walls?: No. A cling holds on smooth, clean glass, mirrors and polished acrylic. A painted or textured wall will not keep one up; for a wall, use a poster or a vinyl decal.
How do you reuse window clings?: Peel it from a corner, rinse off any dust and let it dry, store it flat between two sheets of paper, and put it up again on clean glass with a mist of plain water and a squeegee from the center out.
How do you get window cling residue off the glass?: A cling has no adhesive, so it leaves none. A cloudy patch is dust or a dried water mark that a damp cloth wipes off. Sticky residue comes from adhesive products such as vinyl decals or tape: warm soapy water and a plastic scraper or an old card usually lifts it.