PETG vs Acrylic: Comparing Two Popular Clear Plastics

PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) has grown rapidly in popularity over the last decade as a clear plastic alternative to acrylic. Both materials are transparent, both are workable with standard fabrication equipment, and both are available in sheet form — but they perform differently enough that the choice matters for your application.

Optical Clarity

Acrylic is clearer. Cast acrylic has a light transmittance of around 92%, giving it a brilliant glass-like quality. PETG transmits around 87–89% of light and has a slightly warmer, less brilliant appearance. For high-end displays, signage, or applications where visual clarity is paramount, acrylic is the better choice.

Impact Resistance

PETG is significantly more impact-resistant than acrylic. PETG won't shatter — it bends and dents rather than cracking, making it a much safer option for applications where breakage is a concern. Acrylic, while stronger than glass, will crack or shatter under sufficient impact. For protective barriers, machine viewing windows, or retail environments where accidental impact is possible, PETG is the safer specification.

Chemical Resistance

PETG has better chemical resistance than acrylic across a range of substances, particularly alcohols, dilute acids, and many cleaning agents. Acrylic is attacked by many common solvents and some cleaning products (ammonia, acetone). For food service environments, medical settings, or anywhere where regular chemical cleaning occurs, PETG holds up better.

Food Safety

Both acrylic and PETG are available in food-safe grades. PETG is very widely used in food service applications — deli display cases, bakery shields, food processing guards — and is well-established for food contact. Acrylic food-safe grades are also available but somewhat less common for direct food contact.

Thermoforming

PETG thermoforms at lower temperatures than acrylic and is more forgiving during the forming process. It's less prone to cracking during bending and forming, and produces cleaner results for complex curves and vacuum-formed shapes. For thermoforming applications, PETG is generally easier to work with.

Acrylic requires higher forming temperatures and is more prone to cracking if processing temperatures or forming speeds aren't carefully controlled.

UV Resistance

Acrylic performs better outdoors. PETG is susceptible to UV degradation over time and is not recommended for long-term outdoor use without UV-stabilised coatings. Acrylic naturally resists UV radiation and is the preferred choice for outdoor signage, displays, or glazing exposed to Queensland's intense sun.

Machinability

Both materials machine well with standard CNC and laser equipment. Acrylic laser cuts to a beautiful flame-polished edge. PETG tends to melt slightly under laser heat, producing less clean edges — CNC routing is generally preferred for PETG. Both materials can be drilled, routed, and cut with standard tooling.

Cost

PETG and acrylic are broadly comparable in price for standard sheet sizes, though pricing varies by supplier and thickness. Acrylic is often slightly cheaper for commodity sizes. PETG's premium (where it exists) reflects its better impact resistance and chemical resistance.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose PETG when you need:

Impact resistance without shattering • Better chemical resistance for cleaning • Food-safe contact surfaces • Thermoforming at lower temperatures • Protective barriers, food displays, medical guards

Choose Acrylic when you need:

Maximum optical clarity • Outdoor UV resistance • Laser-cut polished edges • Long-term outdoor displays • Retail signage and displays

Fabrication at P&M Plastics

We stock both PETG sheet and acrylic sheet and can cut to size, CNC rout, and fabricate custom displays and guards. Browse our materials at /materials/petg-sheet and /materials/acrylic-perspex, or compare them at /materials/compare. Call us on 07 5535 7544 to discuss your project.