Desk screens clamp or fix to a desk and sit roughly 400-600mm above the desk surface — they break up sightlines and speech between adjacent workstations. Free-standing screens have weighted bases and divide whole areas, like portable walls. Hanging screens suspend from the ceiling and tend to be larger statement pieces that zone open-plan space. Each does a different job — buyers often combine them.

Higher than mouth height when seated. That's the rule of thumb most acoustic specifiers use. A typical seated mouth height is around 1150-1200mm from the floor, so a desk surface of 720mm needs a screen at least 450mm tall — and ideally a bit more — to interrupt direct speech between facing colleagues. Anything shorter looks like a screen but doesn't perform like one.

Yes, but they're a partial solution. Screens absorb sound on the surfaces facing them and block direct line-of-sound, which improves perceived noise levels and speech privacy. They don't reduce overall reverberation in a room as effectively as ceiling rafts or wall panels — for that, you usually want screens and panels working together. Most projects we see use a combination.

Most desk and free-standing screens fall in Class C or Class D (αw 0.30-0.55). That's because they're thinner than wall or ceiling absorbers, and there's a limit to how much absorption you can get from a 30-60mm panel. Hanging screens and larger dividers can reach Class B or in some cases Class A. The trade-off is honest: you choose screens for privacy and zoning first, with absorption as a bonus.

Yes — particularly hanging and free-standing types. They're useful for breaking up large volumes and creating intimate zones in otherwise open-plan rooms. For a restaurant with a serious noise problem, though, the most effective treatment is usually ceiling-based (rafts or baffles) because that's where the most reflective surface area is. Screens add atmosphere and incremental absorption.

Desk screens fit with desk clamps or grommet-mount brackets — typically a 5-minute job per screen. Free-standing screens need no installation at all; they just stand up on weighted bases. Hanging screens come with suspension kits and need access to the ceiling structure, which usually means a stepladder or scissor lift in commercial spaces. All fixings are included.

Yes. Most of the Autex range comes in 20+ stock colours, and several products (including Cascade and Cube-derived screens) can be cut, moulded or printed to bespoke designs. Lead times for custom finishes are typically 6-12 weeks rather than the standard 2-3.

Yes. Every screen we sell carries a UK/EU fire classification suitable for commercial environments — typically Euroclass B-s1,d0 or equivalent. Specific ratings are listed on each product page so you can match them to your building specification.