Acrylic or pc for outdoor enclosures

Should go with acrylic/ glass with silk priting  (high temperature ink will not come off in outdoor environment)

Acrylic and polycarbonate are good choices for outdoors, but they do force a trade-off between clarity, impact strength, and UV stability. If the part faces impacts or thermal cycling, go with UV-stabilized polycarbonate; if long-term optical quality is a bigger concern, acrylic is a better choice.

Modern UV-stabilized grades or hard-coated PC perform much better. They integrate antioxidant additives, slowing UV issues. A hard coat also adds scratch resistance, narrowing the gap with acrylic. Good coatings can extend clarity life to 5–10+ years outdoors, even in full sun. They’re commonly used in automotive lenses, LED covers, and outdoor electronics housings. Just avoid cheap, uncoated PC, it will haze or yellow faster than acrylic.

Acrylic, on the other hand, is more brittle. A small stone or dropped tool can crack it, especially at mounting points. If you use acrylic, keep fasteners cushioned (rubber washers, gaskets) and avoid sharp internal corners.