Shopping for high-quality window tint for your car or truck isn’t much different from shopping for any other automotive accessory upgrade. There are high-performance tint films available and low-cost solutions. Some shops are great at what they do, and some only worry about taking your money and getting you out the door. Here are five questions you should ask before agreeing to let someone tint your vehicle’s windows.

Question 1: Can You Show Me Your Facility?

Unlike buying a commodity like a smartphone or loaf of bread, purchasing upgrades to your vehicle typically requires installation. For example, a new set of wheels needs the tires to be mounted and balanced correctly. Likewise, a stereo upgrade might require a subwoofer amplifier configuration and calibration to work with the rest of the speakers in the vehicle. In the same vein, window tint needs proper installation to look good. As such, you’ll want to ask the shop about their facility.

The first thing you’re looking for is a workshop that’s organized. The facility might be busy with multiple technicians cleaning windows and installing film. You want to see a level of dedication to ensuring a quality tint film installation. The films they offer should be stacked neatly near the plotter (if they use a plotter). There should be a peel board beside the vehicle they’re working on. Technicians should have water management covers over window switches and door panels while working. The environment should be as dust-free as possible. There should be excellent lighting.

You don’t want to see someone tinting a car in an alley behind a shop or near someone cutting wood. You also might want to avoid third-party tinters. Third-party tinters come to a facility to tint on an as-needed basis. There’s nothing wrong with a shop bringing in extra staff. However, if you’re dealing with a garage or car audio shop that doesn’t have the proper facilities, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. If you have questions or concerns about the installation, these people might not be readily available to provide reliable after-sales support. As with any automotive upgrade purchase, deal with experts, and you’ll typically be happier.

Question 2: How Do You Cut the Tint Film?

There are two ways to cut the window tint to fit the glass on your car or truck: by hand or with a CNC plotter. The plotter method uses template software that the shop licenses to cut out shapes for each window. The second method to cut film is to cut the sheets on the vehicle. Both ways can work well. However, if the tint is cut on the vehicle, ask about the possibility of scratching the glass or leaving knicks in the trim or seals. This is where experience comes into play. A veteran tinter can hand-cut film accurately, efficiently and reliably without leaving a mark on a vehicle. Nevertheless, know what you’re getting into before making the purchase.

Question 3: What Tint Solutions Do You Offer?

Assuming all window tint film is created equally is like saying every hamburger from every restaurant tastes the same. A White Castle slider isn’t the same as an In-N-Out Burger hamburger. Even if you have a different favorite, you won’t deny that we’re talking about one end of the spectrum to the other. In the case of window tint films, there are many quality and performance options.

It would be best if you asked about the films the shop offers. Inexpensive films are usually dyed solutions. Unfortunately, these films often fade quickly or turn purple after a couple of years. There are some reasonable-quality dye-based tint films, though. While not specific to dyed films, low-quality films often have issues with adhesive failure, which can lead to bubbles in the film.

The next step up is a metalized film. Instead of a dye, one layer of these films uses microscopic metallic particles. While the color of these films is often more stable, the metallic layer can reduce the transmission of radio-frequency signals. Your cell phone, a portable GPS navigation system, a tire-pressure monitoring system or even a keyless entry system might not work as well if the vehicle is tinted with metalized films. The flip side is that metalized films are an affordable solution for those who want to block heat energy from the sun.

Moving up one more step in film quality introduces carbon films. The construction of a carbon film is similar to that of a metalized film, except carbon is used instead of metal particles. The result is a film that looks good, blocks heat well and is typically quite stable in color.

The best automotive tint films are of the ceramic family. These films offer the best heat rejection and stability. Many ceramic tint solutions can block more than 66% of the sun’s total energy to help keep your vehicle’s interior cool and comfortable on a hot summer day.

You should ask about the shop’s tint solutions and be presented with several film quality options. The salesperson should clearly explain the difference in performance, longevity, warranty and price. One last note: There are dozens of high-quality brands, each of which offers many different film series. So the answer to the question “What types of films do you offer?” isn’t a brand like Llumar, 3M or Suntek – it should be a selection of film construction types: dyed, carbon or ceramic.

Question 4: How Dark Can My Windows Be Tinted?

With each type of film, you can choose from several shades. The darkness of a film is described by the percentage of light that will pass through it. As such, a film with a 5% Visible Light Transmission rating would be very dark. A 70% VLT film would be perceived as nearly transparent. Most states and provinces have laws about how dark the windows on a vehicle can be tinted. For rear doors and back windows, most jurisdictions have no limits on how dark the tint can be. The darkest tint allowable on front door windows is usually relatively light. You should check local laws about the darkest acceptable shade where you live. While the urge to go darker is tempting, paying to remove the film and adhesive would be frustrating and not something covered by any warranty.

Keep in mind that the glass on your car windows isn’t typically 100% transparent. The VLT rating on the film adds to the opacity of the glass to produce a net light transmission level. So if the laws in your state or province say 35% VLT on the front windows and you pick a 35% film, the net result will likely be too dark.

Question 5: What’s The Warranty on the Film and Installation?

Having your vehicle’s windows tinted is more of a service purchase than a product purchase. First, the windows must be spotless before the film installation. Next, the film must be cut to match the shape of the glass perfectly. Executing these steps properly requires a properly equipped and trained technician. Before you make a purchase, ask the salesperson about the warranty on the film and the installation. Higher-quality films often carry lifetime warranties against fading, turning purple, bubbling or peeling. Some film manufacturers will honor these warranties nationwide, so you’re covered even if you move far away.

You’ll also want to ask about an acceptable level of debris caught between the film and the glass. While the answer should ideally be zero, keeping out every speck of dust is very difficult. Ensure that you know what will and won’t be covered before agreeing to the purchase.

Choosing a professional facility to install window tint on your vehicle ensures that you’ll get a high-quality finished product. Like any automotive customization, the people working on the vehicle and their talents are the key to success. The feeling you get when you enter the facility can tell you a great deal about the quality of their work and expertise. Don’t be afraid to visit several shops in your area before committing to have them tint your windows.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Picture this: You’ve just picked up a new car or truck from the dealer. They’ve washed it, given it a spritz with that lovely new car scent, put a big red bow on the hood or placed a basket of goodies in the trunk or cargo area. You’ve signed the papers, and you’re off for your first drive. For many of us, we’d drop by a family member’s or friend’s house to let them check out our new whip. For others, the first step is to start personalizing the vehicle. We’ve heard hundreds, if not thousands, of stories where new-vehicle owners head straight for their favorite automotive window tint shop for an upgrade. Unless you’re a veteran of vehicle upgrades, choosing the best window tint for your vehicle takes some knowledge and planning. What shade do you want? What safety and comfort options matter to you? Let’s look at automotive window tint shade and color considerations.

Why Should I Tint My Vehicle’s Windows?

There are four main reasons consumers might want the windows of their car or truck tinted. First, it can make the vehicle look better. A nice dark tint on a white or black vehicle can be very dramatic. The second reason people purchase window tint is comfort. The latest window tint films can block as much as 67% of the infrared heat energy from the sun. The third reason is security. Even a moderate tint film can help conceal objects left on the seat or floor of your vehicle. Finally and perhaps most importantly, all premium window films block between 97 and 99 of the harmful UV rays from the sun. This UV energy can damage your skin and accelerate the fading of leather, vinyl, carpets and upholstery in your vehicle. Your local mobile enhancement retailer can help you choose a film series to deliver the comfort and protection you want.

Understanding Window Tint Shades

Let’s start with a benchmark. The graph below is a spectrographic analysis of the energy coming from the sun. There was nothing in front of the sensor on the spectrometer.

The horizontal axis on the graph represents the wavelength of light in nanometers. Wavelength is the inverse of frequency. We are approaching the ultraviolet range on the left side of the chart, where the color is purple or violet. On the far right, we have dark red and are approaching the infrared range. The vertical scale is intensity, measured in microwatts per square centimeter. A higher value on the Y-axis represents more light at that specific wavelength. The small red line in the graph highlights the wavelength that was the most intense (brightest) for that measurement. The brightest in this measurement was 480 nanometers, which is a blue-green color.

Before we start measuring the tint films, we need to measure a piece of glass. I called a few local glass shops, and Clegg Glass in Burlington, Ontario, was able to provide me with a 12-by-12-inch piece of 1/8-inch-thick glass in less time than it took me to drive to their facility. Have to love prompt service!

While easy to see through, you likely know that glass isn’t transparent – it’s close, though. Most glass has a light green shade that’s visible when you look at the edge. Clear glass like you’d find in a house window blocks a small amount of light – usually delivering a visible light transmission (VLT) of around 89%. If you thought we wouldn’t start this article by testing these, you haven’t read enough BestCarAudio.com articles!

The chart above shows how much light energy passes through the glass compared with a direct reading from the sun. The difference isn’t significant.

This third graph shows how much energy and at what wavelength the glass blocks. The glass transmits all wavelengths reasonably uniformly. We can see that it stops some blue energy at 450 nanometers more than other wavelengths. There’s a spike at 380 nanometers where it blocks more energy that’s approaching the ultraviolet range.

Testing Automotive Tint Film Light Transmission

We reached out to Mike at Mobile Edge in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, to get some samples of the 3M automotive window films. They kindly sent 2-by-2-inch squares of the 11 different films they had in stock at the time. We’ll start our explanation of the film shades by measuring the light transmission performance of the Ceramic IR series, as they sent samples of 70, 35, 25, 15 and 5%.

The graph shows how much light energy the spectrometer captured after passing through the different pieces of tint affixed to our glass piece. The Ceramic IR 70 with a 70% VLT is the top blue trace. Not surprisingly, the Ceramic IR 35 (yellow) lets in about half as much light energy as the CIR70. Of course, the CIR 5 is the darkest of the tints and lets in very little light energy.

A few interesting things to note from these measurements: All of the films do an excellent job of blocking low-wavelength energy in the violet range. This is because they are designed to offer excellent ultraviolet protection. 3M says they block over 99% of the UV energy from the sun. The second thing to notice is that the films have a downward taper to their transmission at higher wavelengths. Ceramic IR tint film offers good thermal energy rejection, so it makes sense that less infrared energy will pass.

Window Tint Shades

The next test is three different films with a 35% VLT rating. I had samples of Ceramic IR, Premium Series FX-HP and the Color Stable tint. Here’s how these films performed on our glass sample.

You’re likely to notice that FX-HP and Color Stable let through more energy in the higher wavelengths. These films are not marketed as being designed to block significant amounts of heat. Next, you’ll notice that FX-HP has a big dip around 690 nanometers (red) compared to the Color Stable film. The different balance of light energy transmission will not only make objects seen through the film look different but will give the film itself a different hue. Because the Ceramic IR films let more blue and green energy through, they have a slightly blue-green hue. Color Stable film has relatively neutral transmission characteristics, so it looks neutral and just grayish. Finally, FX Premium blocks more of the yellow and red wavelengths, so it has a very slight brown hue. As you can see by the dip on the left side of the graphs, all of the films do a great job of blocking UV energy.

Picking the Best Tint for Your Car or Truck

The product specialist at the mobile enhancement retailer installing the tint on your vehicle can help you navigate the options available to you. If you want heat rejection, Ceramic IR is the best choice. If you’re after a film that matches the tint on the factory privacy glass rear side windows, then Color Stable remains a popular option. If price is a concern, but you still want a quality film, then FX-HP is an excellent choice.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If you’re considering having the windows of your car, truck, SUV or van tinted, there’s definitely a variety of films available. We aren’t talking about different brands like 3M, Llumar, Suntek and Tint World. We’re also not referring to the different shades or light transmission properties of film. There are four types of film available for your car or truck: dyed, metallic, carbon and ceramic. Each offers different benefits and, depending on your reasons for having your windows tinted, may or may not be the perfect solution.

How Dyed Window Tint Is Made

Dyed tint film starts with the delivery of bulb polyester beads to the manufacturing company. The beads are fed into an extrusion machine to mix and compress them until they melt together to form a thick liquid. An extruder is like a giant, heavy-duty meat grinder. Some companies will run the melted polyester through multiple stages of filtering and repeated extruding to ensure that the finished product is as pure as possible.

Once they’re happy with the mixing and heating process, they place the clear liquid on a smooth, temperature-controlled drum to begin taking the shape of the film. After the film comes off the drum, it’s stretched lengthwise and across its width to align the molecules and give the material strength. How much the sheet is stretched also determines the final thickness – an important consideration for a tinter who has to apply film to a curved glass surface.

A dye is then added to the polyester film to block light transmission. More dye results in a darker film. You can think of the dying process like making a tie-dyed T-shirt, though it takes special chemicals and proper heating to execute the process reliably. Films in a series are sold by their visible light transmission, or VLT, ratings. A very dark 5% tint film will allow about 5% of visible light through to the interior of the vehicle. A light film, say 50%, blocks only 50% of the light.

Once the dying process is complete, three more layers still need to be added. First, a scratch-resistant coating is added. This coating prevents swirls and scuffs when you or your detailer clean the windows. The next layer is an adhesive. The type of adhesive that each brand and series of film uses plays a huge role in the reliability of the film. If you’ve seen a rear window that’s full of bubbles – it’s most likely because an adhesive has failed. Finally, the last layer is a release layer. The release layer protects the adhesive and allows the technician to cut and shape the film until they’re ready to apply it to the window. This release layer is like the silicone coating paper that a sticker is attached to before you put it on your car bumper or your toolbox.

The benefit of dyed tint films is that they are the most affordable. The biggest drawback, though, is their limited longevity. The dyes are prone to fading or turning purple after months or a few years of exposure to the UV rays from the sun. There are, of course, many quality levels of dyed films. If the price you’ll be paying to have your windows tinted seems too good to be true, it’s not likely a deal – it’s inexpensive film.

If you need a tint for a vehicle that you’ll only own for a year or two, dyed film might be a solution. With that said, many shops that offer premium window tinting services no longer offer dyed films, since they turn out to be more of a headache than they’re worth.

Metallic Window Tint Film

The next step up in film technology is metallic films. This type of film starts with the same extruded polyester sheets but has a microscopic layer of metal (often aluminum) added either by sputtering, electron beam coating or vapor deposition coating. Vapor deposition coating involves super-heating the metal particles into a fog that the film passes through. While effective, the consistency across and along the film isn’t always perfect. The sputtering process is more consistent and involves passing the film through a vacuum chamber, where a high-voltage electric charge is used to vaporize and transfer the metal to the film. This method of coating is common in telescope and photography lenses as it’s very uniform.

Once the metal has been applied to the base polyester film, it’s finished in the same way as a dyed film with the addition of a protective layer, an adhesive layer and a release layer.

There are a couple of benefits to metallic films. They don’t have the same problems with fading as a dyed film, and they can block a small amount of infrared heat from the sun to help keep your vehicle cooler. Unfortunately, there’s an issue with metallic film in that it can block radio signals. If your car radio antenna is integrated into your vehicle’s rear window, metallic film can affect its performance. If you have a smartphone or a portable navigation system, the film may reduce reception. In some vehicles, it also affects keyless entry and tire pressure monitoring systems.

Carbon Window Tint Film

In recent years, one of the more popular films uses carbon to block light and heat energy. Different companies may use various mixtures of carbon to help produce a rich, dark look rather than the brownish hue that the early solutions offered. The nanoscale carbon particles are often mixed into the adhesive layer rather than being bonded with the polyester.

In terms of benefits, carbon offers a boost in thermal energy rejection over metallic films, and the newer formulations are very stable in terms of not fading or changing colors. Their drawback is a tendency to be a bit hazy when you look through them at a low angle, rather than being perpendicular to the glass. This haziness comes from the size of the carbon particles. Of course, it’s the size of those particles that offers the heat rejection.

A subset of metallic and carbon films combines one of those technologies with a dyed polyester sub-layer to fine-tune the color of the film and its darkness. The cost of metallic or carbon films is higher than those that are dyed, so combining them can yield financial benefits.

Ceramic Window Films

At this point in time, ceramic films are the best available. Though it varies from brand to brand, the basic concept is similar to a metallic film in that the light- and heat-blocking particles are suspended in a layer of adhesive. In most films, this adhesive is between two layers of polyester. Some manufacturers claim to have over 200 layers in their films. Though it appears to be a closely guarded secret, several brands claim to use titanium nitride in their ceramic films to block light and reduce IR transmission.

The biggest benefit of ceramic film is its ability to block infrared energy. Most ceramic films block three to six times as much heat energy as the darkest dyed films. Ceramic films don’t suffer from fading issues, and they don’t affect radio reception. They are also quite clear. Their only drawback is their cost and, depending on the brand, their color. You can expect to pay significantly more for a high-quality ceramic window tint film compared with all the other options. In our opinion, the performance benefits and longevity are worth every penny. As for color, ceramic films can have a slightly greenish-blue hue. This varies by brand. Don’t fret, the color is subtle, and it won’t make your car look like Kermit the Frog is behind the wheel.

If you’re shopping for window tint for your car or truck, be sure to choose a shop that can demonstrate the performance differences of the films they offer. Most importantly, they should have a clean workspace with the proper tools and training to perfectly execute film installations.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Automotive window tint isn’t just about making your car or truck look good. Many people with medical conditions and sensitivities to the sun can benefit from the UV protection and reduction in the visible light transfer that tint offers.

How Does Window Tint Help Those with Medical Conditions?

First, people with photosensitivity can benefit from a marked reduction in the amount of light that is allowed to enter the vehicle. Second, people who are sensitive to ultraviolet radiation will find that tint offers a great deal of relief.

In many states, you can get permission for window tint that is darker than normally allowable if you have direct orders from your doctor. In these cases, you should visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation or Department of Public Safety and file the appropriate paperwork before visiting your local automotive enhancement retailer. Be sure to read the documentation you receive since many states require the renewal of these waivers every few years.

Solar Urticaria and Bloom Syndrome

People who suffer from sun allergies can break out into hives when exposed to visible or UV light. Thankfully, high-quality tint films block about 99% of the UV energy from the sun. If a person is sensitive to visible light, they should choose as dark of a tint as is legally allowed in their jurisdiction.

Likewise, Bloom syndrome is an inherited disorder that is associated with photosensitivity. People with Bloom syndrome can develop a rash on their necks, the backs of their hands and on their faces. Again, a dark tint is a good way to help stay comfortable.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Known as SLE or lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus is a disease that affects the autoimmune system. Exposure to UVA and UVB rays can cause painful reactions that include arthritis, fatigue, skin rashes, joint pain and fevers. More than 1.3 million women across the US have lupus.

Choosing a window film that is engineered to block UV rays is your best course of action in these cases. Films such as 3M Crystalline, FormulaOne Stratos and LLumar’s Air and UV Protection Series products are available in shades as light as 70% or 90% visible light transmission. These nearly clear tints block 99% of the UV rays from the sun. That is the equivalent of wearing a lotion sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of more than 900. In short, the films block UV while still passing the majority of visible light.

Other Medical Conditions That Cause Light Sensitivity

The list of medical conditions that can cause light sensitivity is long. People with Cockayne syndrome, albinism, erythropoietic protoporphyria, pellagra, xeroderma pigmentosum, polymorphous light eruption and people with cataracts can benefit from tint. Many medications such as antibiotics, diuretics, oral contraceptives, antihistamines and retinoids increase photosensitivity.

Drive in Comfort and Safety

Wearing opaque clothing and sunglasses can, of course, help protect your skin and eyes from bright light and UV rays. Even without a medical need, having the windows of your car or truck tinted can protect you from the harmful, potentially cancer-causing UV rays from the sun. Your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer can explain the tint laws in your state or province and help you choose a solution that will make your time in your vehicle much more comfortable.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.