Advertising products and services are important to any business's survival but the high costs can eat away at a retailer's bottom line, especially small retail stores with limited budgets. Fortunately, advertising doesn't always have to mean spending money on a costly television ad campaign or a radio spot. One economical way to draw attention to your storefront is to paint an eye-catching display on your store window.

Things You Will Need

  • Measuring tape

  • Computer with desktop publishing software installed

  • Printer

  • Grid paper

  • Bucket filled with warm water

  • Sponge

  • Rags

  • Acrylic craft paint

  • Painter's tape

Measure the glass area of the store window you wish to paint with the measuring tape.

Sketch your artwork or lettering out on multiple sheets of grid paper to fit the window's measurements. Or create your design using a computer with desktop publishing software (such as Adobe Pagemaker or Serif PagePlus) and print it out. Take the computer-generated design to a copy store and have it enlarged to fit the store window's measurements.

Clean the store window glass using warm water and a sponge to remove any dirt, bugs and fingerprints. Let dry completely. If the window is in a heavily-trafficked area, consider roping off the area to prevent customers from touching the window or accidentally rubbing against it.

Tape off the wood trim and hardware using painter's tape to protect them from any paint splashes or misdirected strokes. Spread a tarp or newspapers in the area underneath the window.

Copy your design over to the store's window. Go inside the store and attach your design to the inside of the window using masking tape. The design side of the papers must face outside. Once finished, return outside.

Paint your artwork on the store window by following your design. Start with the large areas first and then fill in the details. If you need to apply several coats, wait until each coat is completely dry before applying more paint. If you are painting during business hours, place a "Wet Paint" sign near the window to alert customers.

Remove newspapers, tarps, painter's tape and the design papers from the inside of the window. To remove your painted artwork from the window, spray the paint with window cleaner or with plain water. Let soak for a few minutes, then use a razor blade to scrape off the paint. The paint should come off easily.

Tip

Window cleaner can be used instead of warm water, but the window will take longer to dry. Change your window paint display often to draw customers inside by advertising new sales and product lines. If the artwork reflects a time-sensitive promotion or is holiday-specific, remove the paint immediately after the event. You can paint a store window from the inside. However, it requires painting the design in reverse, by painting the details first and working your way out to the larger areas. For example, to paint a snowman, start with the nose, eyes and buttons first, and then paint the body. This can be a difficult skill to master.

Warning

Do not use glass paint. Glass paint is used by crafters for painting plates, tiles and other craft projects and is intended to be permanent. Always use acrylic paints. Tempra paints will wash away in rainy weather.