Backlit Film Printing
See Backlit Film Printing in action
A 10 mil translucent film lit from behind, in 8 sizes from 18" x 24" to 48" x 96" or a custom size up to 50" x 100", on a 2 business day standard turnaround with next-day and same-day rush.
- $29.20 for one 18" x 24" print, with the total for your size and speed shown in the live configurator.
- 8 preset sizes from 18" x 24" to 48" x 96", plus a custom size up to 50" x 100".
- 10 mil translucent film, one material made so color stays bright and even when a light box lights it from behind.
- 2 business day standard turnaround with next-day and same-day rush, printed in-house in New York.
- 4.9 out of 5 across 61 reviews.
Make Your Print Glow, Not Just Hang
Flip on the light box and your graphic stops hanging on the wall and starts glowing off it. A paper poster bounces light back at you; backlit film lets light pass through, so color pushes toward the viewer, which is why menu boards, cinema cases and airport frames use it. It needs a fixture with a lamp, such as a light box or an LED frame, sold separately. Browse the full large format printing range for displays that need no light.
What Is Backlit Film
It is a translucent printed film built to be lit from behind. Slide it into a light box or an LED panel, switch the light on, and reds get deeper, whites read like glass, and the print carries in low light where a flat poster would disappear. When a display has no lamp, a rigid mounted poster or an indoor banner is the better pick, since backlit film with nothing behind it looks washed out.
How Much Does Backlit Film Cost
The cost follows the size, since a larger panel uses more film, and a next-day or same-day rush adds to the total. Found the same print cheaper at a U.S. retail printer? 4OVER4's Price Match beats that price by 10% - the 110% price-match guarantee.
What Sizes Does Backlit Film Come In
The right size is whatever your light box holds. The 18" x 24" fits a countertop or wall display in a cafe or a lobby; 24" x 36", 24" x 48" and 24" x 60" suit a taller menu board or a window display; and the 48" x 96" or a custom size fills a full light box panel as one sheet.
Sizes for common lightboxes
| Fixture | Print size |
|---|---|
| Movie poster case | 27 x 40 inches, ordered as a custom size |
| Menu board panel | 24 x 36 inches, one of the presets |
| Bus shelter and transit panel | 47 x 68 inches, ordered as a custom size |
| Tall retail column or door box | 24 x 60 inches, one of the presets |
Measure the visible opening of the box, then add the amount the frame overlaps on each edge, and order to that outside dimension. A film cut to the opening alone leaves a line of light showing around the border once the lamps are on. An SEG frame is the exception: it grips a sewn silicone edge and takes a fabric face, not a film sheet.
What Material Is Backlit Film Printed On
The 10 mil film is thick enough to stay flat against a diffuser without curling and thin enough to load into a snap frame or a clip frame. It is made so a backlight passes cleanly through the ink: print the same file on poster stock and the light would blow out the bright areas and leave the dark ones muddy. Backlit film, backlit transparency and duratrans all describe this same job, and the film ships flat, ready for the fixture.
Upload print-ready art as a PDF, JPG or PNG. The backlit film blank template for your size marks the trim and the safe margin, so nothing important sits under the frame edge.
Press-Ready Blank Templates
What Is Backlit Film Used For
Restaurants and cafes run it as illuminated menu boards so food photos stand out after dark. Retailers put it in window light boxes to pull foot traffic at night, trade show booths make a brand wall carry across a busy hall, and cinemas, salons and gyms light their promos in wall cases.
How Does Backlit Film Compare to Other Large Format Prints
The comparison below puts it beside yard signs, aluminum floor graphics and clear window clings with the starting price of each.
Wally lights the print from behind
Why a $29.20 film glows where a poster just hangs.
One 18 by 24 inch backlit film print costs $29.20 on a 10 mil translucent film. Slide it into a light box and the color glows instead of sitting flat. Pick a size up to 50 by 100 inches, set your speed, and Wally lights it up fast.
How Fast Can You Get Backlit Film
Standard production is 2 business days; when a grand opening or a menu change lands sooner, move to next-day or same-day production. Order by the daily cutoff and a same-day print ships that afternoon from the NYC plant, and 99.8% of 4OVER4 orders arrive on time.
See the Rest of Our Large Format Range
Scan the full print product range for every other display.
More From Online Large Format Print - Fast Turnaround
Print Your Backlit Film Today
At 4OVER4.COM, quality comes first, and it is backed by five guarantees and 25+ years of printing since 1999. Need it before a launch or an event? Our same-day production keeps you covered. Print your backlit film today.
Backlit Film Printing: Frequently Asked Questions
Do I order backlit film to the light box opening or to the frame size?
To the outside dimension: measure the visible window, then add however much the frame overlaps on each of the four sides. Cut to the window alone and a bright border shows all the way around once the lamps come on.
Can I order a single replacement print?
Yes, prints are ordered one at a time, so one new graphic for one light box is a normal order.
Questions about Backlit Film Printing? See answers
