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DISPLAYS · OPTICAL BONDING

What Is the Difference Between Anti-Glare and Anti-Reflective?

Anti-glare (AG) is a textured, matte surface that scatters reflections so they no longer form a sharp mirror image. Anti-reflective (AR) is a thin-film coating that cancels reflected light, cutting it to a fraction of plain glass while keeping the image sharp. AG suits bright indoor lighting; AR suits direct sunlight.

01

The Short Answer

Both treatments tackle light reflecting off the front of a screen, in different ways. Anti-glare breaks reflections up; anti-reflective removes most of them. On outdoor displays they are often used with optical bonding, which removes the reflections inside the screen.

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    Anti-glare Etched or textured matte surface; scatters reflections; slightly softens the image; hides fingerprints.
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    Anti-reflective Multi-layer optical coating; reduces reflected light; keeps contrast and sharpness; shows fingerprints more.
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    Combined AG and AR can be combined on one cover glass for mixed lighting.
02

Which to Choose

For factory lighting and indoor kiosks, anti-glare is usually enough. For screens in direct sunlight, choose anti-reflective glass with a high-brightness panel and optical bonding. Our guide to optical bonding explains how the three work together.