You’ve invested in premium materials — glossy black acrylic, brushed steel trims, soft-touch PU bases — but a few days into a campaign, your testers and glorifiers look… greasy. Smudged. Dull. High-touch zones like fragrance trays and watch risers often degrade faster than the product they support.
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This happens to even the most luxurious displays. And once fingerprints appear, your brand loses emotional power — no matter the product quality.
That’s why premium POP designs now integrate anti-fingerprint (AFP) coatings. They repel oil, hide smudges, and extend the visual lifespan of displays, ensuring your product remains the hero.
AFP coatings reduce smudging, improve perceived cleanliness, and cut down on maintenance in high-touch areas like fragrance testers, watch trays, and digital try-on zones. They’re used across metal, acrylic, PU, and laminate to ensure displays stay as clean as your brand promise.
Below, we explain how they work, where they’re most effective, and share real examples from global campaigns that benefited from integrating AFP tech.
Why Do Anti-Fingerprint Coatings Matter in POP?
When shoppers engage with displays, they leave behind oil, makeup, and fingerprints — which dull reflective surfaces and damage your luxury perception.
| Problem | What It Does in Retail |
|---|---|
| Fingerprints on gloss black | Makes premium finishes look cheap |
| Oil streaks on acrylic | Diminishes transparency and lighting impact |
| Grease on metal trims | Interrupts clean visual lines |
| Frequent cleaning | Adds labor and risks material wear |
📍 Real Case: LVMH Travel Retail (Southeast Asia)
Their regional beauty counters saw frequent fingerprint build-up on mirrored fragrance plinths within 2–3 hours of store opening. After switching to matte UV-cured anti-smudge coating, store staff reported a 45% drop in daily cleaning tasks, with displays maintaining showroom condition through late evenings.
What Types of AFP Coatings Work Best?
Each coating type serves different priorities — visual clarity, scratch resistance, soft touch, or quick cleaning.
| Coating Type | Best Materials | Performance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oleophobic nano | Glass, gloss acrylic, metal | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Easy-clean, invisible |
| Matte powder coat | Steel, aluminum | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Excellent for watch bases & metal frames |
| Soft-touch PU film | MDF, wood, acrylic | ⭐⭐⭐ | Feels luxurious, hides light smudges |
| UV-cured hardcoat | Printed PET, painted MDF | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Ideal for logos, tech zones |
📍 Real Case: Swiss Watch Brand Glorifiers (Middle East)
We produced matte powder-coated glorifiers for a luxury Swiss watch brand, combining brushed aluminum with AFP layering. Result: zero smudge visibility across 90 days in high-traffic airport retail.
Where Should AFP Be Used in POP Displays?
Target zones include any surface frequently touched or hovered over by customers.
| Zone | Why AFP Helps |
|---|---|
| Watch trays | Prevents oil transfer from leather or skin |
| Fragrance testers | Keeps gloss bases clean and inviting |
| Jewelry pads | Avoids dull marks from finger contact |
| Tablets / screens | Maintains clarity near interactive zones |
| Flip-open demo kits | Ensures consistent brand feel on touch panels |
📍 Real Case: Estée Lauder Asia Gifting Counters
We applied soft-touch PU + UV-AFP coating on tester trays across 40 stores in China. Compared to uncoated versions, these zones remained clean 3x longer, reducing surface replacement during peak gifting campaigns.
What Sensory Effects Do AFP Coatings Offer?
Beyond function, AFP coatings reinforce a clean, modern, and effortless premium tone.
| Sensory Trait | Shopper Emotion |
|---|---|
| Velvet feel | Trust, comfort |
| Matte clarity | Calm, upscale minimalism |
| Consistent tone | Brand professionalism |
| No gloss shift | Better lighting harmony |
📌 AFP creates a subconscious message: “This product is taken care of.”
How Do AFP Coatings Reduce Maintenance Costs?
| Benefit | Operational Impact |
|---|---|
| Less frequent wiping | Staff time saved (esp. in beauty retail) |
| Material protection | Prevents damage from over-cleaning |
| Fresher brand presentation | Longer campaign lifespan |
| Easy photo readiness | Better for content, social, VM audits |
📍 Real Case: DFS Duty-Free (Hong Kong Airport)
With over 150 SKUs tested daily, their tester tables experienced high wear. Samtop’s AFP-coated acrylic trays reduced cleaning frequency by 60%, and displays held visual integrity for a full quarter.
💬 FAQ
Q: Can I apply AFP to displays I already have?
✅ Yes, in many cases. We offer spray-on nano coatings or self-adhesive protective films depending on the surface type.
Q: Will AFP change the appearance of my materials?
✅ Slightly — matte AFP reduces reflectivity, while clear variants preserve tone better. Always sample before full rollout.
Q: Is it expensive?
✅ Not dramatically — expect 5–15% added to finishing cost, but ROI comes from lower maintenance and longer display freshness.
✅ Conclusion: A Smudge-Free Display Is a Premium Display
✔️ Fingerprints reduce trust — AFP preserves luxury perception
✔️ Choose coatings based on material, user interaction, and visual tone
✔️ Use AFP where shopper touch is highest: testers, trays, tech displays
✔️ Long-term, AFP protects brand image, reduces labor, and supports better store performance
At Samtop, we help global brands engineer display surfaces that look beautiful longer — no matter the touch traffic.
📩 Want to explore anti-smudge finishes for your next campaign?
We provide:
- 🧪 Sample kits with gloss/matte/soft-touch AFP variants
- 📦 Display prototyping for high-touch zones
- 🛠️ Compatibility testing on PU, metal, MDF, and acrylic
- 🧾 Light + branding + finish interaction consulting
📧 [email protected]
🌍 www.samtop.com
Watch Glorifier Design for Luxury Brands
Material Pairing for Luxury POP Displays
Retail Innovation: Fingerprint Resistant Surfaces – Retail Dive
