Material guide Clear plastics
Acrylic, polycarbonate, PETG, and PVC are not interchangeable clear sheets. Acrylic is the usual brand-facing display plastic. Polycarbonate is the usual impact plastic. PETG sits between them on toughness and forming. PVC is rarely the clear face of a premium fixture. The name on the email is not a specification.
The short answer
Decision rule. Looked-at display: acrylic. Struck part: polycarbonate. Formed guard or a tougher clear fixture where acrylic’s crack risk is the complaint: consider PETG. Printed panel or a cost clear that is not the hero face: rigid PVC may be in the conversation. Do not swap them on a photo.
What each one is for
Acrylic (PMMA) is the display sheet. Cast or extruded, cut, polished, often solvent-bonded. Buyers choose it because the face looks glassy and the edge can be finished. It marks less readily than uncoated PC. It can chip or crack. ISO 7823 covers PMMA sheet.
Polycarbonate (PC) is the impact sheet. Guards, covers, panels that may be hit. The uncoated face scratches sooner. Outdoor grades and hard coats are separate specifications. ISO 11963 covers PC sheet.
PETG is a glycol-modified polyester sheet used when a clearer-than-basic formed part, or a tougher-than-acrylic fixture, is the brief. It thermoforms readily. It is generally less optically “glass-like” than a good acrylic face, and it is not the default for a diamond-polished cube. Food-contact and cleaner questions still need the grade.
PVC here means rigid clear PVC sheet, not foam board and not flexible film. It can be clear enough for a printed panel or a simple cover. It is not the usual material for a polished cosmetic cube. Plasticizers, clarity, and regulatory status vary by grade — the word PVC does not settle them.
Side-by-side
Directional. Grade, thickness, a coating, and the process move every cell. Not a lab report.
| Acrylic | Polycarbonate | PETG | Rigid PVC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual job | Brand-facing box, tray, riser, sign face | Guard, cover, impact panel | Formed guard, tougher clear fixture | Printed panel, simple cover, cost clear |
| Look | Crispest of the four in display grades | Clear; often slightly less sharp | Clear; less glassy than acrylic | Can be clear; rarely the premium face |
| Surface marks | Harder face among uncoated sheets | Softer unless coated | Marks; between the other two in practice | Depends on grade; not a polished-cube surface |
| Impact | Can chip or crack | Most forgiving of the four | Tougher than acrylic; not a PC guard by default | Not chosen for impact |
| Fabrication habit | Cut, polish, solvent bond, bend | Different bond and edge practice | Thermoform and cut; polish is not the acrylic result | Cut, print; not a display-cube process |
Leave light-transmission percentages and “times stronger” claims off the purchase order unless the grade and the method are named. A clear sample under office light is not that data.
Which sheet for which job
Cosmetic cube, jewelry tray
Acrylic. The face and the polished edge are the product. PETG or PVC will read as a different object.
Machine guard or barrier
Polycarbonate, unless a standard names something else. Clarity is secondary.
Formed sneeze guard or bin cover
PETG is often the practical sheet: forms cleanly, tougher than acrylic. Confirm cleaner and any food rule before you lock it.
Graphic panel, short-run clear
Rigid PVC can be the cost answer when the panel is printed and not handled as a jewel face. Say so, so it is not priced as acrylic.
Acrylic jobs in the first card are the usual retail set: boxes, trays, and display stands.
What a clear photo hides
- Cast versus extruded acrylic. Both can be called “clear acrylic.” Only one is the usual polished-box sheet.
- A hard coat on PC. Uncoated and coated polycarbonate are different products.
- Food contact. A clear tray is not food-contact approved because it is clear. Grade and market decide.
- Outdoor life. UV behavior is a grade question for all four, not a property of “clear plastic.”
- Cleaners. Alcohol can craze stressed acrylic. Some cleaners haze PC or PETG. PVC has its own list. Name the wipe.
What to write on the RFQ
- The polymer: PMMA, PC, PETG, or rigid PVC — not “clear plastic.”
- The job: looked-at face, formed guard, impact cover, or printed panel.
- Thickness, tint, and whether an edge will be polished.
- Indoor or outdoor, and the cleaner if the face is wiped.
- Food contact or not, and the market, if relevant.
Sanait fabricates acrylic displays, boxes, and trays. A brief for PETG, PC, or PVC should be named in the first email so the plant can confirm scope or decline. Intake is on the FAQ. What the plant builds is on the about page.
FAQ
Which clear plastic looks most like glass?
Acrylic, in ordinary display grades. PC and PETG are clear and usually less crisp. Rigid PVC is rarely specified for that look.
Which is toughest?
Polycarbonate, as a direction, for impact. PETG is generally tougher than acrylic and is not a default substitute for a PC guard. Do not publish a multiple without grade and method.
Can I use PETG instead of acrylic for a display box?
You can make a clear box. You should not expect the same polished edge or the same glassy face. If those are the reason for the box, stay with acrylic.
Is PVC a cheaper acrylic?
No. It is a different polymer with a different look and a different process. A lower price is a different part, not a discount on PMMA.
Are any of them food safe by default?
No. Food contact depends on the grade and the destination rule. Clear is not an approval.
What should the drawing say?
The polymer, the thickness, the finish, and the job. “Clear plastic” is how four different quotes come back for four different parts.
Sources
The comparison is directional. Standards below cover acrylic and polycarbonate sheet. PETG and PVC grades are identified by the supplier’s own documentation, not by the polymer nickname.
- ISO 7823-1:2003, Plastics — Poly(methyl methacrylate) sheets — Part 1: Cast sheets. iso.org
- ISO 7823-2:2003, Plastics — Poly(methyl methacrylate) sheets — Part 2: Extruded sheets. iso.org
- ISO 11963:2019, Plastics — Polycarbonate sheets — Types, dimensions and characteristics. iso.org
- “Poly(methyl methacrylate).” Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
- “Polycarbonate.” Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
- “Polyethylene terephthalate.” Wikipedia (PET / copolyester family context). en.wikipedia.org
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