10 Uses for Acrylic Discs

Acrylic discs are versatile and stylish, suitable for various DIY projects. Whether you're designing retail displays or installing a protective barrier, acrylic discs offer unparalleled clarity and durability. So, what else can plastic discs be used for? 

1. Signage and Displays

Plastic discs are highly effective in displays due to their clarity and visual appeal. In addition, they are easily customisable, allowing designers to create unique displays in various shapes and sizes. This flexibility makes them useful both indoors and outdoors.

Acrylic is also a lightweight, durable and weather-resistant material. Its resistance to environmental factors ensures long-lasting performance and minimal maintenance.

Business Card Holders

Acrylic discs can create business card holders that are ideal for communal receptions or business exhibitions. Their clean, professional look helps present business cards in an organised and attractive manner.

Retail Displays

In retail environments, acrylic discs are used for displays and exhibition stands at supermarkets, stores and outlets. Their clarity and visual appeal help showcase products, drawing attention and adding a modern touch.

Signage

Acrylic discs are suitable for various signage purposes, including informational, directional, wall, door and table signs. Their transparency and professional appearance make them ideal for creating clear, eye-catching signage that improves communication and navigation.

2. Lighting Fixtures and Light Box Systems

Opal cast acrylic discs are highly valued in lighting applications for their ability to diffuse and distribute light evenly. They are known for their durability and resistance to extreme temperatures, making them suitable for a wide range of environments. In addition, they retain their glossy, bright colours for onwards of eight years without fading.

Edge-Lit Acrylic

Acrylic’s light-conducting properties make it suitable for edge-lit applications. To create an illuminated effect, the edges of the acrylic disc need to be polished and even. This technique allows the acrylic to "light up" from the edges, providing a sleek lighting solution.

Light Diffusers

LED light-diffusing acrylics are specifically designed to eliminate hot spots while maintaining light transmission. Opal cast acrylic discs are commonly used as light diffusers in light box systems. Their white, opal finish efficiently disperses light, reducing harsh shadows and providing a soft, even illumination.

3. Architecture and Interior Design

Acrylic sheets are used in various architectural elements. Their lightweight features combined with their ability to mimic glass or stone, make them a popular choice for contemporary homes and commercial spaces.

Decorative Elements

Plastic discs can be thermoformed, laser-cut and moulded into various shapes. As such, you can craft many decorative items, such as room dividers, wall panels and artistic installations.

Mirrors

Mirrored acrylic sheets are used to brighten spaces by reflecting and redirecting light. They are especially effective in making small rooms appear larger and more open, adding both functionality and style.

Skylights

Plastic discs are ideal for skylights by providing a durable and clear material that allows natural light to flood into buildings while withstanding harsh weather conditions.

Windows

Acrylic discs serve as a popular alternative to traditional glass windows. Their light transmission and impact resistance make them ideal for greenhouse or shed windows.

4. Medical and Healthcare Equipment

Acrylic discs are extensively used in medical applications due to their strength, clarity and biocompatibility.

Dental Prosthetics

Plastic discs are perfect for dental prosthetics. Their biocompatibility makes them safe for use in the mouth, while providing a durable solution for dental restorations. Acrylic discs are also easily shaped and customised, offering complete precision.

Medical Equipment Enclosures

Acrylic discs are frequently used for enclosures in medical equipment, such as test chambers and display covers. Their optical clarity allows for easy monitoring while protecting instruments from damage. The material’s impact resistance and ease of cleaning ensure long-term performance in demanding medical environments.

Surgical Instruments

Plastic discs are utilised in surgical instruments due to their transparency and durability. They provide a clear and strong material that can withstand surgical procedures while being easily sterilised for reuse.

6. Automotive Industry

Acrylic’s impact resistance, weatherability and lightweight properties make it a preferred material in automotive manufacturing. This contributes to both safety and design.

Headlights

Acrylic discs are perfect for headlights due to their many properties. They ensure improved visibility for drivers while being able to withstand harsh weather conditions and minor impacts. Their lightweight features also provide improved fuel efficiency compared to heavier materials.

Instrument Panels

In the interior of vehicles, plastic discs are used for instrument panels, providing a clear and durable cover for gauges and displays. Their scratch-resistant properties ensure the panel remains easy to read over time, while their lightweight and shatter-resistant features offer both safety and longevity.

Tail Lights

Plastic discs are also utilised in tail lights, where they provide clear visibility to other drivers. They are resistant to fading and weathering, ensuring tail lights remain bright and functional even in challenging environments.

6. Cake Decorating

Acrylic discs are an essential tool in cake decorating, allowing bakers to achieve a smooth frosting finish and sharp edges. They help create a professional look on buttercream, ganache and fondant, commonly used to improve the appearance of cake.

Cake Toppers

Acrylic discs can be cut into various shapes and colours, making them perfect for creating customised cake toppers. These toppers add a personal touch to any celebration.

Ganache Finish

Acrylic ganache plates are specifically designed to help bakers achieve flawless finishes when using ganache or buttercream coatings. These plates are particularly useful for tiered cakes, such as wedding cakes, where precision and sharp edges are crucial for a polished appearance.

Our acrylic discs are available in different thicknesses. This allows for customisation based on the cake’s style or the baker's preference, making them an invaluable tool in creating beautifully decorated cakes.

Smooth Frosting

Plastic discs can be placed under the cake and on top, allowing bakers to create an even layer of frosting. After applying frosting to the top and sides of the cake, a cake comb is used to scrape the frosting smooth against the acrylic disc. When the top disc is removed, it reveals a perfectly smooth finish on both the top and sides of the cake.

Straight Edges

Bakers can use the straight edges of acrylic discs to guide a scraper and create sharp, clean lines on the cake. The angle of the disc helps maintain a perfect edge, ensuring a refined, professional finish, which is especially important for layered or tiered cakes.

7. Photography

Acrylic is a great alternative to glass in framing due to its UV filtering, non-glare option, lightweightness and shatter resistance properties. It’s also a good insulator, easy to maintain, and can be cleaned with a soft cloth and anti-static cleaner.

Acrylic Prints

Acrylic prints are created by face-mounting a photo onto the back of an acrylic disc. This method adds depth and luminosity to the image, making it popular for home, office and gallery displays. Thicker acrylic sheets improve the vibrancy of the colours, giving the artwork a more immersive appearance.

Product Photography

In product photography, plastic discs can be used as platforms to create interesting shapes, shadows and textures in the foreground. They are also useful as placeholders for swatches, offering a clean, reflective surface that improves the appearance of the products being photographed.

Reflective Surfaces

Acrylic discs can be used as reflective surfaces to improve visual effects. White acrylic is naturally reflective, while clear acrylic can be placed over white paper or a black foam board to create white or black reflective surfaces. These surfaces are useful for creating professional-looking photographs, especially in studio settings.

We offer plenty of acrylic options for photography, such as:

Anti-Reflective Acrylic

This type of acrylic is perfect for areas with lots of light, such as galleries or sunlit rooms. Its matte finish reduces glare and improves visibility. Anti-reflective acrylic also offers greater resistance to scratches and UV damage compared to standard acrylic.

Standard Clear Acrylic

The most common and cost-effective option, standard clear acrylic is often used for framing to provide a protective physical barrier. Its lightweight, shatter-resistant features make it ideal for protecting photos and artwork without the risk of breakage, while still offering excellent clarity.

UV-Protected Acrylic

UV-protected acrylic offers protection against harmful ultraviolet rays, preventing artwork and photos from fading over time. This is particularly beneficial for pieces displayed in well-lit or sun-exposed areas, ensuring long-lasting preservation.

8. Protective Barriers

Perhaps one of the most common uses, acrylic discs are perfect for protecting you during any occasion.

Face Shields

Acrylic discs can be cut, bent and shaped into face shields that offer clear visibility while protecting the wearer’s face from harmful particles. These shields are lightweight, durable and essential in healthcare and other industries where facial protection is necessary.

Sneeze Guards

Plastic discs can also be used to create sneeze guards. These see-through panels serve as protective barriers in reception desks, restaurants and checkout counters, allowing for safe interaction without compromising visibility.

Table Protectors

Acrylic table protectors are a practical solution for safeguarding furniture, such as desks, coffee tables and dining room tables. They are lighter, stronger and safer than glass, offering excellent protection against scratches and spills while maintaining a polished, high-shine finish.

Wall Protection

Plastic discs are an effective way to protect walls from scratches, scuffs and damage in high-traffic areas. It can be fitted behind kitchen bins, over door panels or in bathrooms to shield walls from moisture and impact.

9. Arts and Crafts

Acrylic discs have various uses among arts and crafts, such as:

Embellishing

For a touch of flair, acrylic discs can be embellished with rhinestones, beads, sequins or vinyl decals. These additions improve the discs’ decorative appeal, making them perfect for crafting projects or DIY home decor.

Engraving

Plastic discs can be engraved with intricate patterns, designs or personalised messages. This makes them ideal for custom projects, gifts or unique decor.

Jewellery Making

Acrylic discs are excellent for crafting jewellery. By adding jump rings, earring hooks or chains, they can be transformed into stylish earrings, pendants or charms.

Painting

Acrylic discs can serve as canvases for painting. They are compatible with various paints, including water-based paints or acrylic lacquers. When using acrylic discs for painting, it’s important to apply a primer suited for plastic surfaces to ensure proper adhesion.

10. Kitchenware

Table Mats

One of the biggest uses for acrylic is table mats! They are an excellent choice for creating contemporary and durable table mats that match any theme. Their smooth surface and custom size, colour and shape makes them a practical yet aesthetically-pleasing option for dining tables, coffee tables and desks.

Not to mention, they are much easier to clean than leather, cork or wooden table mats. Acrylic is also resistant to scratches and high temperatures, ensuring a long-lasting product.

Everyday Items

Acrylic sheets are also used to create a variety of everyday items, such as coasters, placemats, chopping boards and cooling racks. These items benefit from the material’s strength, stain resistance and non-porous properties, ensuring they are easy to clean and maintain.

Available in various shapes, sizes and designs, acrylic coasters and placemats add a stylish touch to any dining setup, while acrylic chopping boards are practical for food preparation and are dishwasher safe. In addition, acrylic cooling racks offer a sleek and modern alternative to traditional materials.

Splashbacks

Acrylic sheets are an excellent choice for kitchen splashbacks, providing a protective barrier against water damage and spills. These splashbacks are easy to clean, highly durable and can be custom-cut to fit any kitchen space. Their heat resistance makes them suitable for hob areas and they come in a range of colours and finishes, allowing you to match them to your kitchen decor effortlessly.

Start Your DIY Project Today with Acrylic Sheets Available at Sheet Plastics

Explore the endless possibilities with our high-quality plastic discs. With options available in various colours, finishes, sizes and thicknesses, you can find the perfect match for your project.

Browse our collection today to discover the ideal discs for your application. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.