Not much. The adhesive on a ‘removable’ film is very strong. The longer you leave a removable film on a window or wall, the more permanent it will eventually become. Most removable films will remove cleanly off a non-porous surface up to about a year before it will leave adhesive residue. If you only have a removable film and you have a permanent application, don’t worry – it will stick just fine. Permanent adhesive films are not engineered to remove cleanly at all. If you apply a permanent adhesive film to a non-porous surface, it will leave adhesive on the surface if you manage to pull it off.

Monomeric films will usually perform outdoors for around 3 years before any signs of degradation (yellowing and cracking). Polymeric films can perform up to 7 years outdoors without degradation. If you have a long-term application on a primarily flat surface, a polymeric film will perform the same as a cast film but save you hundreds of dollars per roll. If you have easy and shorter term applications, monomeric films are great and will save around a hundred dollars per roll.

Laminates protect and enhance an image. The protection will help the image last longer from UV fade, chemicals, and scratching. The enhancement comes from adding a finish to a print – glossy, luster, and matte are the most popular finishes. A glossy laminate will make the image “POP” with explosive color. A Matte finish will allow the viewer to focus on the image and see little to no reflection. A luster finish is right down the middle.

This is not recommended. They will expand and contract at different rates causing long term issues.

If the laminate offers UV inhibitors, the rule of thumb is the life of the print will double in terms of UV fade. Despite many films offering 7 year performance outdoors, you’ll likely see the inks begin to fade around year 5 or 6.