All posts by Jolynn Paige

Jo Paige was Photodon's Sales and Communications director from January 2015 to March 2021.  Over the course of her career, she has been published in several newspapers and local publications and was a writing teacher.

3 Reasons Your Kids Need Blue Light Screen Protectors

| By Jolynn Paige

The need for online school and online socializing in order to keep safe during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a steep increase in screen time for most children and teens. This information from a recent Fox News article confirms this fact: "…the group found that screen use rose to 7.7 hours per day from pre-pandemic estimates of 3.8 hours per day." With all of this additional screen time, children's eye health is at risk. The good news is blue light-cut screen protectors can help prevent macular degeneration, reduce eyestrain and headaches, and may even keep sleep patterns stable. But what is blue light and why can it have these negative effects on human health?

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We strive to earn your business for life!

| By Jolynn Paige

As a USA-based manufacturer of custom screen protectors, privacy filters, and other screen accessories, we're proud to say we've survived and thrived in today's global economy.  We offer superior-quality materials at affordable prices with the best customer service in the industry.  (Check out our A+ Better Business Bureau ratings and reviews on our website). Located in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, we'll do whatever it takes to gain your business. 

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Doing some research

Touch your Laptop Computer's Screen With Peace of Mind!

| By Jolynn Paige

There's no question about it: laptops with touchscreens are a fun and versatile way to get information. The un-fun part is when you're left with wear marks or scratches, and even irritating fingerprints and smudges left from touching your screen so much.

Whether you use your touchscreen in the workplace or at home, Photodon's high-quality, Touché brand screen protectors will block the abuse of everyday use.

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Man at a computer that has an indoor-outdoor monitor hood installed on it

Indoor-Outdoor Shade Monitor Hoods: From Tradeshows to Shop Floors

| By Jolynn Paige

Grease-, water-, and dirt-resistant, these indoor-outdoor hoods are made specifically for your device. 

Using a digital device of any size in brightlylit environment can be tricky because the glare makes it difficult to see the screen, right?  Plus, bright light and reflections can make the eyes hurt and cause headaches.  Not only that, but greasy hands or dirty work gloves do not play well with fussy materials.  Think waitress and waiter stations at an outdoor restaurant, or industrial monitors mounted on a shop wall.   

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Man drying a car with a microfiber cloth

Microfiber: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

| By Jolynn Paige

As far as our customers' favorite cleaning tools go, Photodon microfiber cloths are right up there with vacuums.

We hear from our customers all the time about how they use the microfiber cloths they purchase from us.  While we sometimes get a chuckle out of their creativity (we never laugh at them, always WITH them), we feel good that we're helping so many people with the not-so-fun tasks of everyday cleaning.

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9HO Screen Protector on a cell phone

9HO Screen Protectors: 9H Hardness Defined and Tested

| By Jolynn Paige

Photodon's Touche brand super scratch resistant screen protective film

Photodon's highly scratch-resistant oleophobic 9HO screen protectpr material is a rockstar in Photodon’s lineup. Not only is it one of the most scratch resistant materials available on the market, it is extremely clear. It’s easy to clean, affordable and —  unlike tempered glass — it's shatterproof.

But what exactly does 9H mean in terms of scratch resistance?

9H Explained:

There are many ways testing labs will evaluate the hardness of a given material. One common way is to test a surface with minerals of varying degrees of hardness to determine if it will scratch a surface. Another way is A box of pencils used by artists showing hardness factor levels.to use pencils that are on a hardness scale that ranges from 2H to 9H. The higher the number, the harder the lead.

The most commonly used pencils are 2H on the hardness scale — not very hard. You may notice that if you use much pressure on a #2 pencil tip, the tip will break easily. Many artists will use 9H pencils — the hardest pencil grade available — so their pencils don't break as they draw.

Photodon's 9H Hardness Test:

One way Photodon’s screen protectors were tested was by using pencil hardness methods as set forth by the highly reputable American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International Standards. Photodon’s 9HO material surface was evaluated for its ability to withstand scratches using these graded pencils.

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Traverse City, MI, Small Biz Makes Face Shields To Help Save Lives

| By Jolynn Paige

When owner Don Basch listened to Michigan's Governor Gretchen Whitmer address citizens on March 23, 2020, he, along with everyone else in the state, heard the news that all non-essential businesses were ordered to close their doors until at least April 13th.  That night, Don went home, got on the internet, and researched what he could do to help protect the medical and emergency responder professionals in his Traverse City community. 

Don Basch, owner of Photodon, pictured wearing a personal protection mask he made.
Don Basch, owner.

“I found a local group that shared Google doc showing PPE items that hospitals are needing to help keep doctors and nurses protected.  One of the items was face shields with a suggested design.”  Don went to the Photodon shop and got to work making a shield using some materials he had in stock. After tinkering with the shield pattern, he constructed the first shield.  He also ordered some additional supplies needed to make the shields.   

Photodon shop worker assembling personal protective gear to help medical workers during the coronavirus epidemic.
Angela W. assembling personal protective face shields to help medical and other emergency personnel during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We now have supplies on hand to make about 1,500 shields,” Don said.  Photodon plans to provide as many shields as they can and currently have face shields ready to deliver.  “We just want to do what we can to help with what we are capable of doing,” Don said.   

Interested organizations should contact Photodon by emailing [email protected] or calling us at 847-377-1185, M-F 9:00a.m – 5:00pm EST.  

Photodon's screen protectors can be cleaned with disinfectants and bleach.

Clean Photodon Screen Protectors with Bleach and Sanitizers

| By Jolynn Paige

What Hospitals Need to Know About Our Products  

Now that the coronavirus has arrived, electronic devices are being cleaned regularly, especially ones used in medical facilities.  To ensure these devices are cleaned properly, hospital-grade type disinfectants are being used directly on expensive digital screens which, if not protected, can cause damage to the screen.  Our screen protectors hold up to harsh chemicals and can save your device screen’s life.  Below you’ll see what we did to prove this.  

  
The Test – HSC and MXH Screen Protectors and Anti-Bacterial Cleaning Solutions: 

Our Photodon lab technicians created a bleach test to see how our HSC and MXH screen protector materials would hold up to being regularly cleaned with hospital-grade Clorox Bleach Germicidal Wipes. 

We used a standard office monitor and wiped down the screens two times daily with the bleach wipes for a period of 30 days.  The results were clear:  the screen protectors' clarity and protection were not compromised, which means the screen itself was not either! 


Features and Specifications of Photodon’s HSC and MXH Screen Protectors: 

Our screen protectors can be part of your company’s cost-reduction program by avoiding the need to replace expensive screens, whether it be for medical equipment screens that can be damaged by regular and necessary cleaning requirements especially at this time, to manufacturing-type devices, laptops, monitors, TVs, or any other device screen. 

Our HSC and MXH Materials: 

  • Are resistant to yellowing, even when cleaned with harsh chemicals 
  • Are touchscreen-compatible 
  • Are an affordable solution 
  • Are great protection for your screen and offer different finishes.  HSC is a clear, glass-like option, where MXH offers an anti-glare, matte finish 
  • Protect your devices from scratches and blunt force impact 
  • Withstand daily wipe-downs with hospital-grade disinfectants, including bleach wipes 
  • Can be custom-cut for any device (up to 40.5” tall) 
  • Are easily removable with no residue left on the screen 
  • Come with installation kits and detailed instructions for an easier installation 

Photodon’s Advice: 

Replace the screen protector – not the screen. 

While we have not tested our other materials, we believe that our other screen protector material types would respond the same way if tested with the bleach wipes. Should chemicals degrade the PET material over time, it can be inexpensively replaced, while the same cannot be said of replacing the actual device screen. 

The Bottom Line: 

Touchscreen use is increasing in medical-type environments from patients using equipment to check in and check out, to doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and other staff.  It pleases us to know that we can provide a high-quality, affordable option for protecting these heavily used and expensive devices. We specialize in custom solutions, and we offer 11 screen protector materials and 3 privacy filter materials. We have quick turn-around times and will work with you to get you what you need when you need it! 

You can contact us at 847-377-1185, M-F 9:00a.m – 5:00pm EST, or email us at [email protected].

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