This is the finish side of our work, glass that does more than let light through. Frosted glass for privacy, coloured and back-painted glass for looks, and decorative etched or patterned glass for the odd job where someone wants something a bit different. All of it can be toughened too, if it's going somewhere that needs the extra safety.
Here's what people usually ask before they order.
What's actually the difference between frosted glass and coloured glass?
Frosted glass is see-through glass made cloudy on purpose, so light passes through but you can't make out shapes clearly on the other side. It's mainly about privacy, bathroom windows, office cabins, front doors where you want daylight but not a clear view in. Coloured glass is a different idea altogether. It's glass that's been tinted or painted a solid colour, black, white, blue, green, bronze, grey, whatever suits the space, and it's picked mostly for how it looks rather than for privacy. You can actually combine the two, a coloured glass panel can also be given a frosted texture, but most people pick one or the other depending on whether the job needs privacy or just a certain look.
What's the difference between acid-etched glass and sandblasted glass?
Both give you that cloudy, frosted look, but they're made differently and feel different once fitted. Acid-etched glass is treated with acid that eats into the surface evenly, leaving a smooth, almost glossy frosted finish that doesn't hold fingerprints or dirt marks easily, it's genuinely low-maintenance. Sandblasted glass is done by firing sand or a similar abrasive at the surface at high speed, which gives a rougher, more textured finish, and it's better suited to bigger designs or large glass spans. Acid-etched usually costs less and holds up better over years of cleaning, sandblasted can look striking for a feature wall or a custom pattern but the rougher surface picks up smudges more easily. For a bathroom window or office partition, we'd lean acid-etched. For a decorative feature panel, sandblasted often looks better.
Does frosted glass block all the light, or just the view?
Just the view, mostly. Frosted glass, whether acid-etched or sandblasted, still lets around 90 to 95 percent of daylight through, it's the clarity that's lost, not the brightness. So a frosted bathroom window still keeps the room feeling naturally lit, you're just not getting a clear silhouette view through it. This is actually one of the best things about frosted glass over a curtain or a blind, you get privacy without losing the daylight.
Can you still see through frosted glass at night when the light is inside?
This is worth knowing before you fit it, and it's something most people only find out after the fact. During the day, with more light outside than inside, frosted glass works well for privacy. At night, if a bright light is on inside a room and it's dark outside, the balance flips, and a silhouette or shadow can sometimes become visible through frosted glass, especially standing close to it. It's still far more private than clear glass, but if a room needs to feel completely private after dark too, a curtain or blind behind the frosted glass, or going for a denser sandblasted finish, closes that last gap.
What is back-painted or lacquered glass, and how is it different from frosted glass?
Back-painted glass, also called lacquered glass, is clear or coloured glass with a solid coat of paint or lacquer applied to the back surface, so from the front it looks like a smooth, glossy sheet of colour. It's completely opaque, nothing passes through it, which makes it different from frosted glass that still lets diffused light in. Back-painted glass is popular for kitchen backsplashes, feature walls, and cabinet shutters because it wipes clean easily and doesn't stain the way tiles or paint can over time.
What colours are available, and can I get a custom colour matched?
The common stock shades are black, white, blue, green, bronze, and grey or smoke tones, and these are usually the quickest to source. If you want a specific shade, say, a particular pastel for a kids' room or a colour to match existing kitchen cabinets, custom colour matching is possible for back-painted glass, though it usually takes a bit longer to source and costs a little more than a stock shade. Bring a sample or a paint code if you have one, it makes matching far more accurate than describing a colour over the phone.
Can frosted or coloured glass be made in toughened glass too?
Yes, and a good number of our orders combine the two. The frosting, colour, or lacquer finish is applied to the glass before it goes through the toughening process, so you get the look you want along with the extra strength and the safer way it breaks. If the glass is going somewhere someone could lean on it, a partition, a door, a shower area, we'd always suggest toughened regardless of the finish. Our Normal & Toughened Glass page has more on toughened glass thickness and pricing if that's what you need to check next.
What is designer, patterned, or etched glass, and can I get a custom design or logo done?
This is decorative glass with a design cut, etched, or printed into it, rather than a plain frosted or coloured finish. It could be a geometric pattern, a floral motif, a company logo on an office door, or a custom design you have in mind. Acid-etching and sandblasting can both be used to create a pattern rather than an all-over frosted look, and for something like a shop logo or a specific motif, we'd need the design file or a clear sketch to work from. These jobs take a bit longer than plain frosted glass since the pattern has to be masked and applied carefully, so it's worth asking a few days ahead of when you need it.
How much does frosted glass cost per square foot in Kolkata?
As a rough 2026 range, frosted glass usually runs somewhere between ₹60 and ₹450 per square foot, and that's a wide range on purpose, plain acid-etched frosting on ordinary glass sits at the lower end, while a custom pattern, a larger sandblasted design, or frosting combined with toughening pushes it higher. The only number worth trusting is the one we give after seeing your actual glass size and the finish you want.
How much does coloured or back-painted glass cost per square foot?
Back-painted and lacquered glass typically runs somewhere between ₹90 and ₹400 per square foot, depending on the colour, the brand of glass used, and whether it's toughened as well. A stock colour on a standard thickness sits toward the lower end, a custom-matched shade or a larger single sheet without visible joints costs more. We'll give you the real figure once we know the space and the colour you're after.
Which glass is better for a kitchen backsplash, coloured glass or tiles?
Both work, but they behave differently over time. Tiles have grout lines that catch oil stains and turn dark near the stove after a few years, no matter how often they're scrubbed. A single sheet of back-painted or coloured glass has no grout lines at all, so it wipes clean in one go and keeps its colour without staining. It costs more upfront than basic tiles, but a lot of our customers switch to glass specifically because they're tired of scrubbing grout. If budget is tight, glass just behind the stove and tiles elsewhere is a fair middle ground too.
What's the best glass finish for an office partition, for privacy without feeling closed in?
Frosted glass, acid-etched for a clean look, is the usual choice, since it keeps the space feeling open and lets light travel between cabins, while still stopping people from staring straight through. A fully frosted panel gives full privacy, a frosted band at eye level with clear glass above and below gives a lighter, more open feel while still blocking the direct eye-line when someone's seated. Coloured glass is sometimes used as an accent strip alongside frosted panels, more for branding or a design touch than privacy itself.
Can frosted or coloured glass be used outdoors, on a balcony or exterior window?
Yes, though a few things matter more outdoors than indoors. Whatever glass is used outside should be toughened, for safety and to handle temperature swings better, and the finish should be checked for how it holds up against monsoon rain and direct sun over years. Acid-etched frosted glass generally holds up well outdoors. Back-painted glass can be used outdoors too, but check with us on the specific product first, since not every lacquer finish is meant for constant weather exposure.
Does frosted or coloured glass need any special cleaning?
Not really, just a bit of common sense. Acid-etched and back-painted glass can be wiped with a soft cloth and a mild glass cleaner, avoid anything abrasive like a scrubber or a rough scouring pad, since that can dull the finish over time, especially on sandblasted glass which is naturally more textured and traps more dust in the grooves. For back-painted glass specifically, cleaning only the front glass side, never scrubbing the painted back, keeps the colour looking fresh for years.
Can frosted or coloured glass be repaired if it gets scratched, or does the whole panel need replacing?
A light scratch on acid-etched glass often isn't very noticeable since the surface is already textured, but a deep scratch or a chip usually can't be polished out without affecting the finish around it. Back-painted glass is more delicate on this front, since a scratch through to the paint layer will show clearly and can't really be touched up invisibly. In most cases, replacing the panel is the more reliable fix rather than trying to repair it, and if it's toughened glass, it has to be replaced anyway since toughened glass can't be reworked once it's made.
Can I convert my existing clear glass window into frosted glass, without replacing the whole pane?
If the glass itself is otherwise fine, size, thickness, no cracks, this is one of the more affordable jobs we do. The existing pane can be taken out, acid-etched or sandblasted to add the frosted finish, and refitted, which usually costs less than ordering a brand-new piece of glass altogether. The one thing to know is that if the glass is toughened, it has to be refitted as a new toughened piece rather than reworked, since toughened glass can't go through etching after the fact without weakening it. For plain, untoughened glass, reworking the existing pane is usually the more budget-friendly route.
How long does it take to get frosted or coloured glass fitted?
A plain acid-etched frosted panel on a standard size is usually quicker than a custom-coloured or patterned piece, since custom colours and designs take longer to source or prepare. We'll give you a real timeline once we've seen the exact size, finish and quantity, rather than a guess over the phone. If it needs to be toughened as well, that adds a bit more time since toughening happens at a separate stage after the finish is applied.
Does Sarada Glass supply and fit frosted and coloured glass across Kolkata and North 24 Parganas?
Yes. We're based in Keotia, near Dum Dum, and we regularly work across Madhyamgram, Barasat, Barrackpore, Bhatpara, Naihati, Salt Lake, New Town and Rajarhat, along with Kolkata itself. Bring us the space, the look you're after, and whether it's for privacy or just appearance, and we'll suggest the right finish rather than the first one that comes to mind.
How do I get a free quote for frosted or coloured glass work?
Message or call us on WhatsApp, 8250144620, with a photo of the space and roughly what you're after, a colour, a frosted look, a pattern, and we'll arrange a free site visit to measure properly and give you a written quote. Or use the short form on our Contact page if you'd rather type it out.