Slat blinds have long strips called slats. These can be rotated to open the blind while it is still covering the window. In track blinds the slats hang vertically from one end. In Venetian blinds and mini blinds the slats are suspended horizontally on cords. A slat blind can also be opened so it is no longer covering the window.

Solid blinds can only be raised or lowered and are often called shades. In some such as Holland blinds and woven-wood blinds there are small spaces between the slats. In others such as pleated shades there are no spaces because the slats are sewn inside fabric.

Window blinds reduce the heat from sunlight. Ancient Egyptian pharaohs had blinds made of reeds. The most inexpensive blinds in the 1800's were home-made roller shades, made of cloth.

Window blinds can be manually drawn or automated through motorization, controlled from a wall switch or keypad, remote control, or a personal computer, thus eliminating the hazard of dangling cords.

Slat

Venetian

A Venetian blind has horizontal slats, one slat above another. They are suspended by strips of cloth called tapes or by cords which are able to tip them each at the same time up to 180 degrees. Their setting can be changed from overlapping with one side facing inward through not overlapping at all to overlapping with the other side facing inward. There are also lift cords passing through holes in each slat. When these cords are pulled, the bottom of the blind moves upward causing slats to rest on each other as the blind is raised. Venetian blinds are basic slatted blinds made of metal or plastic; wooden slats are sometimes used but these are usually referred to as wood blinds or bamboo blinds. Venetian blinds were patented by Edward Beran in London on 11th December 1769, but in reality Venetian blinds were invented by the Japanese long before then. Slat width can be between 16-120 mm - a common width is 50 mm.

Others

Materials

A window blind is a means of screening a window, achieving similar results to those obtained by fitting curtains. Blinds are typically the same width and height as the window itself or slightly wider and taller - depending on whether they are fixed inside or outside the window's reveal (i.e. the wall recess within which the window itself is fixed).

Window blinds have varying thermal effects: they can block unwanted heat of the summer sun and they can keep in heat in cold weather. But in both of these applications, they also reduce light to varying degrees, depending on the design. Many kinds of blinds attempt varying balances of privacy and shade. Blinds can be made of a number of different materials and manufactured in a number of different ways. This usually determines the name by which the blind is commonly known.