Acrylic

Acrylic is a clear, almost colourless plastic with a smooth, reflective surface. It looks like a display case, a perspex sign, an award block or a clear product window.

How it looks

Opacity is 0.9, so objects behind it show through clearly, slightly whitened by the plastic. Roughness is 0.1, so lights leave sharp, small highlights on its faces and edges, and Env Map Intensity is 1.0, so in a scene with environment lighting the surroundings reflect clearly in the surface. Those reflections and highlights are what make a clear object visible at all. It fades what is behind it but does not bend or magnify it; for refraction, use Clear Glass.

Settings

• Opacity: lower it toward 0.6 for a lighter, more see-through panel; raise it for a heavier, whiter block.
• Color: white keeps it neutral. Any colour tints both the plastic and what is seen through it; see Colored Acrylic.
• Roughness: raise it toward 0.5 for a satin, lightly frosted look.
• Env Map Intensity: the strength of the reflections that define the edges.

Use it for

Display cases and plinths, signs and nameplates, awards and trophies, clear product housings, and modern interiors with perspex furniture. It is lighter and simpler than glass, which suits large panels. For a tougher-looking clear plastic, see Polycarbonate.