You Don't Have to Replace Your Glass to Make It Bird-Safe. Window Film Trends, Q3 2026.
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"If your glass isn't bird-friendly, you don't have to replace it. You just add a film to it." That was Jeff Salt of American Window Film at GlassBuild America, the glass industry's big show, in September (Window Film magazine). It sums up August to October 2026: film doing more than block sun, color paint protection film, and shops growing their own installers.
Bird-friendly film as a retrofit
Clear glass reflects sky and trees, and birds fly into it. Bird-friendly film adds a pattern of dots or lines birds can see. New York City is weighing a bill, Int. 140-2026, that would make many existing buildings meet its bird-friendly glazing rule by January 1, 2030; as of November 8, 2026 it was still in committee (New York City Council).
Switchable privacy film is an everyday request
Switchable film turns glass from frosted to clear at the press of a button. At GlassBuild, Vitro Architectural Glass showed its InstaVue film, which goes between two panes of glass, and Salt said switchable film is "a big request that we're getting more and more of" (Window Film magazine; Vitro).
Color paint protection film keeps spreading
Paint protection film (PPF, a clear urethane layer that takes stone chips instead of your paint) now comes in colors. Avery Dennison added a matte black in October 2025 and PrismaPro, a color PPF installed dry, in June 2026 (Big Picture; Avery Dennison). More makers followed around SEMA.
Installers and distribution
There are few trade-school pipelines for window film, and one multi-market shop owner wrote in August that the answer is to hire for steady hands and train apprentices (Window Film magazine).
And one distribution deal stands out: a partnership with Saint-Gobain, which owns Solar Gard, adds Solar Gard automotive window tint to the distributor network of PPG's joint venture with Entrotech, Window Film magazine reported on October 21. We sell Solar Gard automotive window tint, and nothing changes for our customers.
Sources
- Window Film magazine: GlassBuild showcases what window film can and can't do (September 23, 2026)
- Vitro Architectural Glass: InstaVue switchable privacy film
- New York City Council: Int. 140-2026
- Big Picture: Avery Dennison launches Neo Matte Black PPF (October 29, 2025)
- Avery Dennison: PrismaPro (June 16, 2026)
- Window Film magazine: There is no secret place to find great installers (August 26, 2026)
- Window Film magazine: PPG expands film distribution through Saint-Gobain partnership (October 21, 2026)
