What Is AF Coating?

AF coating, or Anti-Fingerprint coating, is a nanoscale protective layer applied to glass surfaces such as LCD covers. It repels oils, water, and fingerprints, ensuring easier cleaning, enhanced clarity, and longer-lasting display performance. Widely used in industrial, automotive, medical, and consumer devices, this technology enhances usability and protects touchscreens from smudges while maintaining brightness and optical quality.

What Does AF Coating Mean?

AF coating refers to a hydrophobic and oleophobic nano-layer on glass that minimizes fingerprints and smudges. Applied through chemical deposition, it reduces surface tension for self-cleaning properties. Touchscreens remain clear with minimal maintenance, enhancing user experience. Gesight integrates AF coating in its custom TFT and IPS displays, combining it with ruggedized glass to deliver smooth touch interaction, better durability, and sharper visuals.

How Does AF Coating Work?

AF coating works by depositing nano-chemicals that repel water and oils, making droplets roll off easily. This reduces residue and fingerprints by up to 90%, ensuring screens stay clean. Vacuum deposition or liquid chemistry techniques modify the glass surface energy, resulting in a smoother feel. Gesight applies AF coating alongside optical bonding on automotive dashboards, providing durability for thousands of touches while maintaining brightness in challenging environments.

What Are AF Coating Benefits?

AF coating provides smudge resistance, easy cleaning, and enhanced tactile feel. It maintains display clarity in greasy or dusty environments and ensures vibrant visuals without constant wiping. In medical devices, it reduces cross-contamination, while automotive panels remain readable under sunlight. Gesight’s high-brightness LCDs with AF reach 3000 nits for outdoor use, offering cost savings and longer product lifespans.

How Is AF Coating Applied to LCDs?

AF coating is applied to LCD cover glass via spray or vapor deposition before assembly. Single-sided treatment targets user-facing surfaces, followed by baking for adhesion. Gesight integrates AF coating in OEM/ODM production with BOE and AUO panels. Capacitive touch layers bond seamlessly over the AF layer, and rigorous EMI/EMC testing ensures reliability. Production scales to 10,000 units per day for global export.

What Is the Difference Between AF, AG, and AR Coatings?

AF focuses on touch interaction, AG minimizes glare, and AR enhances brightness. Combining these coatings creates optimal display performance for industrial and consumer devices.

Why Choose AF Coating for Touch Displays?

AF coating is ideal for touchscreens, preventing fingerprints that obstruct MIPI, LVDS, or HDMI interfaces. It supports high-frequency use in industrial and consumer devices, improving optical performance. Gesight customizes AF for Type-C and HDMI displays and combines it with rugged glass for industrial applications, ensuring reliable performance in over 40 countries worldwide.

How to Identify AF Coating on Glass?

AF coating can be recognized by water beading on the surface, similar to a lotus leaf, and oil marks that wipe away easily. Treated surfaces feel smoother and silkier than untreated glass. Gesight provides coated samples and uses professional tools to measure contact angles above 110 degrees, simulating years of usage to validate durability.

What Are AF Coating Applications?

AF coating is suitable for smartphones, tablets, automotive HUDs, medical monitors, and industrial equipment. It performs well in oily or high-touch environments and extends the lifespan of OLED and TN panels. Gesight’s vertically integrated services support firmware customization for AF-enhanced displays, ensuring scalable solutions for automotive and medical markets.

Gesight Expert Views

“AF coating elevates custom display solutions by combining hydrophobic properties with high-brightness performance. At Gesight, we integrate it with BOE and LG panels using optical bonding and touch technology to achieve up to 3000 nits for automotive and medical applications. Our Shenzhen production lines test for real-world durability and EMI compliance, delivering modules that reduce cleaning time by half and enhance return on investment.”
— Gesight Engineering Lead

Why Is AF Coating Durable Long-Term?

AF coating withstands thousands of wipes due to covalent bonding, unlike surface sprays. Gesight’s environmental testing simulates humidity, UV, and abrasion, ensuring long-lasting performance. When paired with OLED panels from HannStar, displays can maintain clarity and function for over five years.

How Does AF Coating Impact Display Performance?

AF coating maintains high light transmittance while repelling contaminants, preventing haze buildup and improving swipe precision. In Gesight’s IPS and TFT modules, it enhances LVDS clarity, ensuring smooth touch response and consistent visuals in high-use industrial and medical devices.

Key Takeaways

• AF coating repels fingerprints via nano-layer technology for cleaner, more durable displays.

• Gesight integrates AF coating seamlessly in custom LCD manufacturing for industrial, automotive, and medical applications.

Actionable Advice
Choose AF-coated displays for touch-intensive environments and consult Gesight for tailored BOE/AUO solutions to maximize performance and longevity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes AF coating hydrophobic?

Nano-chemicals reduce surface tension, causing water and oils to bead and roll off.

Can AF coating wear off?

Premium AF coatings, like those from Gesight, resist wear and maintain effectiveness for years even under heavy use.

Is AF coating safe for medical devices?

Yes, AF coatings are non-toxic and easy to clean, helping reduce contamination risks.

Does AF coating work on curved displays?

Yes, vapor deposition methods conform effectively to curved OLED and other glass surfaces.

How thick is AF coating?

AF layers are nanoscale, typically under 100nm, preserving glass clarity and optical quality.