Save Your Company Money with Photodon Screen Protectors

| By Jenny Sockol

Your business depends on so much to be successful. One of the most important things that ensures profitability is your production schedule; getting your product to your customers is of utmost importance. Many situations can happen to alter that schedule, and we know how inconvenient the lost money and downtime can be. If your machinery or devices suffer a damaged or broken screen, know that Photodon can help!

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Australia

How to Internationally Ship Photodon Screen Protectors

| By Jenny Sockol

Photodon does business with countries all over the world, so we're experienced in international shipping.  We strive to provide the least expensive way possible to get our products to our customers overseas, while ensuring that the products are not damaged upon receipt.

Our recommended method of shipping internationally is via FedEx. We can also work with our international customers to ship on their shipping accounts.

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Photodon Standly Laptop Stand

STANDLY: The Best Portable Laptop Stand for All Meetings

| By Jenny Sockol

Have you been looking for the perfect laptop stand so that you can look your best for your virtual zoom meetings? Do you need a way to support your laptop and other devices or books? Do you struggle to maintain your laptop's camera's proper viewing height or angle? Then we invite you to keep reading to meet STANDLY™, one of the best portable laptop stands for your Zoom conferencing needs!

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Important Things to Consider When Buying a Screen Protector

| By Don Basch

Screen protectors first and foremost protect screens from irreversible damage such as scratches, dings, and harsh cleaning chemicals.  You can also use them to help protect your health, increase privacy, and reduce glare.  Most importantly, preserving your screen clarity makes your device useable for more years, saving you money and helping the environment.

The very first screen protectors in the early 2000s were transparent and glossy.  Manufactures have, over the years, added features to increase the usefulness of these screen savers.  The first was to create an anti-glare material, and they did this by etching the outer surface.  While this made an anti-glare, it also resulted in pixeling (distortion of the screen image).  These early versions of anti-glare were not suitable for close-up viewing of text or for color-critical applications.

This image shows the basic structure of a screen protector.  Anti-shock material would have an additional layer on top of the base layer.

Technology has since improved and advanced to correct pixeling and has gone on to solve many other problems.  Manufacturers now offer clear, anti-glare, anti-microbial, blue-light cut, privacy, shock-absorbing, hard-coated scratch-resistant, ultra-thin flexible materials, and many other specialty materials.  Most screen protectors are used on flat screens and adhere to the screen with silicone resin.  The new ultra-thin products usually have a higher adhesion and can bend and adhere to curved surfaces such as phones that wrap around OLED screens and large curved monitors.

When purchasing a screen protector, it would seem like a simple, straightforward decision, and it can be if you want general screen protection.  But for those who have a unique application or need to purchase for a product that you or your company are manufacturing, you need to get the best screen protector that meets specific standards or requirements.  For instance, will the device be used indoors or outdoors, be used on an office monitor, a drawing tablet, a vehicle in-dash vehicle in-dash, or a public kiosk?  Each of these devices have special considerations.

1. What is the main reason(s) you are looking to cover your device screen?

a. Extending the life of your device

  • Most screen protectors cover the screen to keep it looking new.  However, cheap screen protectors may not have the clarity you need.  A higher-quality screen protector with other features may better fit your needs.

b. Reducing screen surface glare

  • Glare reduction is accomplished on a screen protector by two methods:  etching or, most recently, by applying nanoparticles evenly over the outer surface.  This newer method creates a much better image than the anti-glare materials of years ago, significantly reducing past pixeling issues.
  • If it is most important to maintain image quality, reading text, or working with color-critical applications such as Photoshop or prepress work, you are best served by considering a light anti-glare or no anti-glare (glossy) screen protector.  Medium to heavy anti-glare screen protectors will gray out in sunlight when viewing from the side.  In addition, for some color-critical applications, consider purchasing a monitor hood to reduce ambient light on the screen.  A monitor hood puts nothing between you and the screen image and takes some of the overhead and side light off the screen. Photodon makes monitor hoods for almost any monitor for both office and industrial applications.

c. Protecting from excessive cleaning or harsh cleaning chemicals

  • These can degrade the screen when cleaning repeatedly, especially with chemicals such as bleach or alcohol.
  • Using the wrong cleaner on a screen can permanently damage the anti-glare and other coatings of your device.

d. Reducing fingerprinting

  • Fingerprints on a touchscreen such as in a vehicle can be incredibly annoying; using a light anti-glare screen protector will help with this issue.  Avoid higher anti-glare in vehicles as they tend to gray out when viewing from an angle.  Oleophobic coatings allow the removal of fingerprints more easily by utilizing a microfiber cloth.

e. Eliminating most germs and microbes

Anti-Microbial

  • If you have concerns about germs and microbes on your touchscreen, especially on a shared device, an anti-microbial screen protector may be the product for you.  The top layer contains zinc, and microbes cannot live on surfaces that contain zinc.

f. Protecting eyes and help with sleep patterns

Blue Light Cut

  • Help regulate your sleep patterns.  Blue light from the screen can disrupt your body's natural production of melatonin.
  • Reduce eye stress; reducing blue light reduces eye stress related to long hours of screen viewing.
  • Screen protectors that block the Ultraviolet spectrum act more like filters because they filter out most UV and the highest end of the blue light spectrum.  Filters work in both directions so that a blue light cut material will protect both the display from direct sun and the user from any UV and higher end blue light.

g. Protecting information on the screen

Privacy Filters

  • Privacy filters reduce visibility of information on your screen from side viewing, while keeping the information on the screen visible to the user.  They also protect digital gear from damage and glare, as well as reduce UV and blue light.
  • There are three versions of privacy filters:

–Two-way, which provides privacy from the left and right (or top and bottom depending on the orientation of your screen), with fully backed adhesion.  This type is recommended for one installation only.

–Two-way, which provides privacy from the left and right (or top and bottom depending on the orientation of your screen), adhered with adhesive tabs.  This type is easier to apply and can be installed and removed many times.

–Four-way, which provide privacy from both sides, the top, and the bottom.  These have fully backed adhesion and are best used on tablets, phones, and kiosks.  This type is recommended for one installation only.

For more information on how privacy filters work, visit our blog:  How are Privacy Filters Made, and How do they function? (photodon.com)

2. Where is the screen device being used?

Does the environment require a special purpose screen protector material?

a. Harsh environment

  • If using your device in environments such as an auto shop with diagnostic equipment or for fieldwork, you may want a higher scratch or shock resistance screen protector for your touchscreen. Anti-shock protectors give you an added level of protection by adding an extra layer of shock-absorbing material laminated to the primary layer.  In addition, these anti-scratch screen protectors have a special hard coating applied to the top surface.  Shops and manufacturing facilities using a human-machine interface (HMI) are examples of environments where these film types are helpful.

b. Public transportation

  • If you do a lot of traveling on public transportation, a privacy filter may be an excellent choice to keep information on your screen private to only you.

c. Busy open office environments and any business that needs to adhere to HIPAA

  • If you work in a medical, financial, or government setting, privacy filters will also be the best choice to keep information private.

d. Church

  • Churches often have big screen TVs and have found that glare is an issue.  Anti-glare protectors prove to be the best for better visibility.

e. Restaurant or other public place

  • If multiple users are using an ordering system such as in restaurants or stores, chances are there are germs and microbes on the screen.  Our anti-microbial film reduces germs and microbes by 99%.  Hopefully, the screens are being cleaned regularly, which is another reason a protector would benefit in this situation.

If you want a quick answer as to what type of material to purchase from the Photodon website, click this link to our material type questionnaire.

We are happy to help you with any question you may have.  If needed, please contact us at 847-377-1185, M-F 9:00am – 5:00pm EST, or email us at [email protected].

See Your Vehicle's In-Dash with a Photodon Screen Protector

| By Jenny Sockol

Who doesn’t love how technologically advanced vehicles’ in-dash screens have become?  And who DOESN’T love how these wonderfully interactive screens seem to catch every glare imaginable from the sun?  If you are searching for a way to still see and use your in-dash screen – even in the glaring sunshine – look no further than to Photodon’s selection of anti-glare screen protectors.

Anti-Glare Material Types

Photodon has choices of anti-glare material types, which you can read about on our site.

Other than the obvious benefit of reducing the glare on your vehicle’s screen, a Photodon anti-glare screen protector also cuts down on visible fingerprints and makes it easier to see the screen.  Both of these benefits are important for safely driving your vehicle.

MXH

Photodon’s most popular type for vehicles is our 25% anti-glare material called MXH.  MXH offers the lowest percentage of anti-glaring, making the screen still fairly clear with just enough matting to cut out the brightest sunshine.

Samples

Still unsure of which anti-glare screen protector material type to choose?  That happens, especially when you don’t have anything in your hands to try out first in your vehicle.  Just know that anti-glare isn't the only option for your vehicle. If you'd prefer a clear screen protector, our clear 9HO is a great option. Samples could be the answer for you, and you can order those here.

Screen Protectors are Available for All Vehicle Makes and Models

25% anti-glare MXH installed on a 2020 VW Golf GTI

If you don’t see your vehicle after searching for it on our site, not to worry.  We can still provide a screen protector for you!  Just visit our custom cut page and create your order.

We are happy to help you reduce the glaring in your vehicle.  If needed, please contact us at 847-377-1185, M-F 9:00am – 5:00pm EST, or email us at [email protected].

Computer Privacy Screens Hit the Big Time

| By Cameron McLean

Do you use a curved monitor?

If you use a curved ultrawide monitor, you know the performance and efficiency offered by this type of screen is unparalleled. These popular monitors are at the forefront of the commercial market, bringing with them some unintended security risks. In a time of ransomware, phishing, email hacking, and fraud, it is doubly important to put a complete mitigation strategy into practice. Unprotected large screens increase opportunities for threat actors to access data through snooping. The good news is that with Photodon's ultrawide computer privacy screens, your team can reduce vulnerabilities while enjoying the benefits of an ultrawide monitor setup! 

Photodon has you covered

Our filters are available to fit the most popular curved widescreen monitors on the market today, such as the Dell U4919DW and Samsung CHG90 QLED 49-inch monitors. If you don't see the monitor you need on our website, not to worry! We can cut custom-sized privacy filters based on your specifications up to a 57.9-inch diagonal. Photodon cuts computer privacy screen material to its final size in Traverse City, MI.

As experts in the field of screen protectors and privacy filters, we have served everyone from mom-and-pop shops to major corporations, and we've also fulfilled prime contracts for the United States government. Whether you are a startup just getting off the ground or a corporation with a global reach, Photodon's privacy filters will allow you to share what you want, and only what you want.

Please contact us so we can work out a solution for you at 847-377-1185, M-F 9:00 a.m – 5:00 pm EST, or email us at [email protected].