The Ultimate Guide To Dot Matrix Part 1

dot matrix problems

I will post here for you now a few of the methods I have tried over the years to improve the appearance and Silvery look of Dot Matrix after window film is applied and and some of the factors that will affect the levels of success you will have in your in efforts to get the dot matrix looking good,and as close to the look of factory tinted glass as is possible.

1. Film Thickness!
This will have a major effect on the look of the dot matrix, if you are using a thin dyed 1 ply film it will lay down far better on the dot matrix than a high performance 2 ply film. Most 1 ply films are 1 micron ( 1mil) thick whereas a 2 ply film with be 1.5 microns, so the extra thickness means the film is not as pliable and won't form to the shape of the dots like a single ply film.
This leaves you in a dilemma, although there are colour stable single ply films they tend to be like tissue paper to work with and don't have the body that a two ply film has and you can easily crease these films just by looking at them... ok not quite that bad but they are much less forgiving especially to a inexperienced installer just finding his feet in the car window tinting business.

So your first thing to decide upon is will you sacrifice film quality for the look of the Dot Matrix??

2. Heat Shrinking Process!
Although you may not realise it but the way you shrink your back windows can have a big affect on the outcome and appearance of the Dot Matrix! If you are a powder shrinker, then you maybe don't realise that you are leaving lots of tiny un-shrunk areas of film, and as you shrink more towards the edge of the glass, into the matrix area, the film will become very distorted in that area and will not lead to the film sitting down nice and tight onto the dot matrix.

I would consider a switch at this point to either the soap shrink or the Ryk Shrink. The Ryk shrink is a little unknown and little used technique in the car window tinting industry and involves using 2 heatguns and shrinking very large area of film at one time, this means you are not focusing on the area of the film over the dot matrix but applying a more general shrink of the window film. The end result is that the film is less distorted and can result in an improved look on the dot matrix area.

Why not try this technique and see how your results can improve.

3. Cleaning Technique!!

People often neglect the dot matrix area in their cleaning preparation and this can have a major effect on the end results. One thing I do that does allow the film to adhere well to the matrix is spend a few extra minutes on the dot matrix, so what do we do to take our installations to the next level?

I use a 000 gauge wire wool to clean the back windows and heater lines and then will spend some time on the dot matrix and give it a a good scrub with wire wool and glass cleaner, I use foaming glass cleaner and spray the dot matrix with the cleaner and let it sit their for a few minutes, then I illuminate the rear window and cut out my film, the foam glass cleaner highlights the edge of the film making pattern cutting easier.

Ok, back to the matrix...after squeegeeing the glass clean in the normal manner, i will use some IPA (
Isopropyl alcohol) and wipe the matrix clean, and i mean "clean" and that means that no black dirt comes of onto your micro-fibre cloth. Then i will use compressed air in a can or my heat gun and dry the dot matrix completely. This super clean and dry matrix will be ready to take your film and stick like crazy!

Thats all for now in this first part of the The Ultimate Guide To Dot Matrix - next time i will tell you about sanding matrix, glueing, slip-mix,baking and quenching and a few other advanced techniques that can help you get the best finish ever.

Read more

Controlling Contamination When Tinting Windows

Contamination Control - Keeping Your Car Window Tinting Installs Clean

Keeping the dreaded dust specks out of your tint jobs is something you will learn to fight for quite a while once you start out on your car window tinting journey, and before I get the hot shots shouting up that they never get contamination in their installations I will call BS on that!

Dust Under Window Film

Keeping your work ultra clean is not as easy task, and the expectations of your customer will play a big part in how your work is received. Some customers will expect perfection, and may return a car because it has maybe one or two microscopic dust specks in the window, the others will look at the car from 12 feet away and give a smile.."looks awesome man!"

And that's how it goes, I have looked at plenty of people showing off on YouTube, slapping film on really fast, but trust me..their work will never be as clean as the guy who takes the extra time and steps needed to make the job as clean as is physically possible.

Starting with your slip mixture, this is a key factor in delivering top notch results, don't use water straight from the tap, its full of crap that you can't see but will show in your car window tinting work.
This is the starting point in controlling contamination, at the very least, purchase some filtered water as this will also help reduce contaminants.

Next time I will update you on the most effective glass preparation methods prior to window film installation.

Learn how to tint windows with our video training.




Read more

Shaving The Top Edge Of A Roll Up Window

I would like to show you today the Olfa Shaving Technique - well i say me, It's actually mt Friend KT.
he is the real Daddy when it comes to shaving the windows with an Olfa knife.

It takes a lot of practice to get this technique down and you will burn through a  lot of blades practicing.

The good thing though, is that you can use some film scraps and just keep practising, so that when you come to do it live on the car you have a better chance of getting it right.

Anyway, KT sent me this video clip and I am happy to share it with you.

Here is look at the finished result and this is what you should be aiming for in your car window tinting!

You can shave or file your edges to get this level of finish!

Read more

The Tint Slime Review

I have now had a chance to try out the Tint Slime and wanted to give you a quick review right here and now.

I got a gallon size container of the product from my regular supplier. And tested out a few ratios to get the correct mixture. It seems that Tint Slime is very concentrated, I used around four fluid ounces per litre of water. Bare in mind that your mixture will change depending on the weather conditions, as I write this the weather is cold, it's winter, and it's only just a few degrees above freezing.

Tint Slime

So let's not beat around the bush, I'll tell you know I really think about Tint Slime and whether or not it's something you should look at using for car window tinting.

My first impressions are that Tint Slime is is Definitely something I'll be using!!. In the cold in winter weather it can be hard to get the right mixture for your slip solution and it seems to perform well in my low temperatures .

Ive now Tinted a few cars using Tint Slime and I think it really seems to suit my style well, I don't like too much slip when I carry out my installations, and just one pass of the squeegee seems to make the film tack down quickly. It was good on quarter windows, you could slide the film into position and use a hard card to just pin the film down, and it didn't slide any more and then allowed you to extract the water nicely

So it was a good experience using this product, and yes I do certainly recommend it. Some people online are saying it's expensive and it's not necessary, but you must move with the times, and stop being such a tight ars*, it's very concentrated and 1 gallon of this stuff will last for ages.

So I have no hesitation about using this product, the films seem to dry out quicker, and when it dries quicker, you can spot the  very small contamination easier - contamination!!..who gets that! basically, you can see that bit sooner than you would do with normal mounting solution like baby shampoo as the film dries faster.

I would even consider using two bottles of slip solution, one with a slightly more concentrated mixture for fixed back windows, and a lighter mix for quarter windows etc...

Hey Tight Ass - Now go try this stuff!

Go to TintSlime.com Read more

Marketing Your Business When Times Are Tough Part 1

Yeh, its tough out there!!

Operating a small business in a recession is no fun...and if you dont keep a handle on things, before you know it your flood of customers could become a trickle and leave you in a mess!

Ok I am no expert on business mastery, but lets say I have done it for real, not like some of these business gurus who spout all the crap and pretend to help other people, and profit from their mis-fortune sometimes!

Anyway, I'm rambling, lets get back on track.

If you are finding business tough right now, get used to it!!..because I dont think things are changing anytime soon!

You must take a good hard luck at the situation and that starts with your fixed costs.

It's all well and good having a nice shiny business, but if you are getting little custom then you need to change things and thats starts with looking for a way out of this situation and try and think about how you can reduce your monthly overheads.

The answer is collaboration!

I say take your business to your customers, target the motor dealers in your area and offer an on-site service, you will be using their facilities and utilities and giving them a top notch service on their own doorstep. I think this is the best business model for tint shops when times are tough! 

You may need to brush up on your pattern making and adapting your techniques for mobile as it is really a different ball game so expect a few issues with quality when you first start doing mobile tinting.

Get Social

You MUST harness the power of social media and make this your best friend. The viral aspect and sharing of your status updates can be a real driver for new business. Make offers that can be redeemed by your customers, try and engage the customer with pics of cars, make videos showing your skills and even video testimonials from your customers...you can shoot and publish videos direct from your smartphone and have it online in a few minutes.

Offer one free window tint installation a month for people who like and share your business page and make sure to visit facebook.com/username and set the username for your business so you can use it properly in your marketing.

Gotta go now, to do some status updates to get my buzz going for this week!

Watch this video to see how you should be doing it and the time needed to make it work!

I can help you with your car window tinting seo

  

Read more

Panels On 'V' Panels Off When Car Window Tinting

Depending on which side of the water you are (USA/Europe) you may well never have come across the installation method of installing the film in one shot as opposed to installing the top half of the film and raising the glass then installing the bottom half.

 I would not like to guess at the figures but in Europe, I reckon at least 75% of installation on doors are done in this way, as opposed to the USA where more like 90% are installed in the half and half method. So today i will focus on the bottom loading method and why its popular in Europe.

 1. Out of the USA, lots of car window tinters like to give the perfect finish to the top edge of the door glass, this is easier to achieve with the bottom load method, you can install the film, do your bit and let it dry, then come back to it after you have completed the rest of the installation, then the edges of the window can be filed to a perfect finish. This is the preferred method over the micro edge and has become the standard in many parts of the world.

 2. Olfa Shaving is another method for getting the ultimate edge finish, this is a hard technique to master and you will be pulling your hair out until you get the method down but perseverance here will be well worth the struggle. With the shaving method you can even shave the edge when it's still wet, whereas with filing the edge needs to be dry to get the best finish.

 3. One other benefit of the bottom load method is that you don't tend to get pinch marks at the side of the film like you can get with the half and half method and this is a big factor in why this method is popular. The video below shows bottom loading and shaving with the olfa blade.

Read more

Dot Matrix Tips For Car Window Tinters

In this article today I want to talk to you about more dotmatrix! You may not see this type of matrix every day, but there are cars out there that are very heavy dotmatrix at the top of the back window,
I'm talking three or 4 inches of dot matrix, like on the BMW 3 Series coupe's.

 To be quite frank, these cars are a real pain in the butt! 


We will certainly have some extra work to do, and if we don't do the right amount of preparation then the job could look a mess. The first thing I will say is that to get good adhesion on these dots, we need to make sure they're really squeaky clean.

There are at least three or four ways to deal with these dots and they all work best when the dots are super clean, so we can then either sand the dots, glue the dots, heat them so they're very hot and then nail the film down, or even use vinyl on the dots. I personally like to glue to the dots, I'm not a big fan of heating them as it does worry me that it may end up shattering the back window.

 I do know some guys have great success with heating, but it's almost a two man job, one man outside heating and tell the dots are really hot, and another guy inside pushing the film down into place, not easy if you're a one man band!! I have never used the vinyl, so I'm not expert on that but the glue is what I prefer to do, I will first sand the dot matrix for a few minutes with 1000 grade wet and dry paper ( make sure you don't stray onto the clear glass as you will scratch it), then really scrub the dots clean and you can even use some IPA on the dots for the final clean, you really must go to town on these dmn dots to make sure they are as clean as can be, and then install your back window in the normal fashion and squeegee out all the water as best as possible.

 You can then peel the film back at the top of the back window and allow it to dry for a minute or two, I have seen people rub glue all the dots but my preferred method is to use a syringe and put a fine line of glue on the bottom line of dots, then using a Mactac or hard card with a felt edge, I will gently push the glue through the dots. If you don't have enough glue on the dots when you start, and you can get patches or areas where the glue is not filling the space between the dots and the window film, so to be careful make sure you put enough glue in at the start.

 This method does work well, but I do no people who equally have great success with the purely sanding the dots, and then install the film in the normal manner, then their is the method called the "Drop Dry Technique", with this you tint the window in the normal fashion,then peel back the film at the top, and let it dry for 10 minutes or so, you can even heat up the back window to speed up the process, then you can push the film down using a hard card with a felt edge, or even your thumb with a piece of tissue , and gently push the film back into place, I think this method can be a bit hit and miss, but like everything you need to practice.

 I was having a root around the You-Tube, and I came across the videos below, it shows how to glue the dots, I put it on with a syringe like I mentioned, whereas in this video they rub it on with their fingers but the end result is still the same a nice finish!

 Have You Seen My Tint Slime Review?

Read more

Dealing With Obstacles When Tinting Windows

Hey guys,
Here Is Another Car Window Tinting Tip

Ok, today I will try and address a little problem that you will come across when you begin to tint car windows.

Whilst laying your window film onto the back glass of the vehicle is straight forward enough, dealing with the rear window wiper can be a pain in the ass!
If you are not careful you will easily crease the film in that area if you let the rear wiper hit the film when you least expect it.

So one simple tip is too use a piece of masking tape and use this to tape the wiper up, so it leaves space so you can still shrink the window film without fear of the wiper dropping down and hitting the film.
i made a quick video showing how to do it - its  simple thing buy maybe one day you will be able to use it.
Be aware that on some cars, you may need to remove the rear wiper and even the rear wiper motor assembly to get the job done right, cars that spring to mind here are the Mk 1 Honda CRV and the Mitsubishi Evo. On these cars, by leaving the wiper motor spindle in position will make the job a real pain and the few minutes it takes to strip it out will save you a lot of heartache.

One other thing i wanted to touch on was removing the actual wiper from the wiper motor spindle, this is something i rarely do, a lot of the wiper motor spindles have a tapered spline and over time the wipers can become seized, there are special tools available that make removal easier but my advise is work around it if you can.

Car Window Tinting For Beginners

Read more

Benefits Of Car Window Film

If you are wondering if tinting your cars windows is the right thing to do please read on, in this article I will be discussing the ideas that never came to your mind when window tinting. As you may know there are many benefits from having your car windows tinted. One that you may never have thought of is the fact that when you apply the car window tinting you will be fighting global warming. That is right, this is because when the window film is in place you will have a cooler car. This allows you to use less energy to cool the car on hot days. This reduction in energy also provides a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Great isn’t it?

If you thought that was great, there are more benefits as well. What about safety? The film used in car window tinting will help to ensure the window does not separate and shatter if you ever get into a collision. Yes, people take auto glass for granted and don't realise that tempered car glass when broken will shatter into small pieces, but with the window film installed will give you another layer of protection in this instance.

When the car window tint is applied to the window, the product will use quality adhesive. This ensures the likeliness of the glass shattering drops drastically. This means that when you get this product installed into your car you will be improving the overall safety rating of your car to ensure that you and your passengers are as safe as possible while in your vehicle.

Something that has become a major player in many people’s eyes is the subject of skin cancer. Many who spend a lot of time in cars will know that the prolonged exposure to the sun can cause many problems. In the sunny climates all over the world this is even more prevalent. Many people know that if you go out into the sun you wear sunscreen. However, this is not so when people think about driving. This lessened use of sunscreen in automobiles can cause problems. Car window tinting can help to reduce the exposure of the harmful UV rays that have been proven to cause cancer. This means that you do not have to worry as much about your exposure levels.
On top of your skin thanking you for this, your car will as well. The extended exposure of the UV rays from the sun on the inside of the car cause the parts to dull and lose their new look. It can also make leather crack. The window tinting is yet another layer of protection you can add to your car’s interior to reduce these risks.

Then you get to another reason that many people already know. Car window tinting will increase the level of privacy within your car. This means that people will not be able to look into your back seat and see what is there. If a potential thief does not know what is in the cab of your car you will lessen the chance of becoming a target. This safety precaution is good not only for the items in the car, but your car’s windows as well.

Read more

Avoid Water Damage To High End Cars When Window Tinting

In this blog I will give you some tips and tricks for keeping it safe when tinting High End motor vehicles and please do watch the included video for the best ways to protect the vehicle from damage.


Water damage is something that can prove to be very expensive and if you don't take precautions before you carry out your installations you are heading for big trouble!

The main causes of water damage are two fold, its a bit of a catch 22 situation for the serious car window tinting installer. As a professional they will know that you can get very clean results by flushing down the window with either clean water or even their slippy window film mounting solution. Take this to the limit though and you can end up damaging electric window switches , airbag connectors and even ultra expensive amplifiers that are mounted in the trunk area.

Just the other day i tinted a brand new 2012 Mercedes Benz E Class, a nice car for sure and the customer was a picky type of person, I could tell that before I started the job so i knew I had to be on my best game and make sure he had no reason at all to complain, some of these customers can be really picky but if you meet their levels of expectation and become very picky about the finished product you deliver back to them, they will be happy customers for life and will tell every man and his dog what a good job you did.


So, what do you need to consider before you start tinting windows on some high end vehicles, well I will say limit your water usage for sure, mix up a slippier mounting solution than normal and install the windows on the dry side, I like to buff mine with a micro fibre cloth and then blow them dry with my heat gun, then  just flush down the edges slightly and maybe a quick mist in the main area of the window, then soak your film, I even install film with the windows completely dry sometimes ( with the film soaked only), you will be amazed how clean you can get your installations using this method. This method works well for quarter windows and drop glasses but what is the best way to tackle a back window in a sedan/saloon vehicle.

Look in the trunk area and on lots of cars they have side pockets, if you open these you may see a fusebox, or amplifier or sat nave unit or something else electronic. Take a towel or sham-wow cloth and cover all the electronics. I know on some of the Audi models the amplifier has an air intake, this faces upwards and and water just drips right into it, i have heard of quite a few tinters who have damaged these and must pay to replace them, at a cost of well over $1000.

Be careful - thats the first thing, don't go ploughing in soaking everything, tape off the C Pillar trims with masking tape as these can get wet and may get stained depending on what slip solution you are using. Only mist the back glass, don't flush it down, and when squegeeing out to the sides, be careful you push slowly, if you just flush lots of water into the 'C' panel area, on the BMW's they have the aerial/antenna amplifier in that area and they can get wet and that again can cost you money to put right. If in doubt and you can pull the trim away from the vehicle, try and have a quick look to see if their are any electonic components in the area in quetsion, and do what is needed to keep them dry. Cars are becoming more and more loaded with elcetrocnics and you need to be smart and get the knowledge as to what cars can cause a headache!

When I was doing a Mercedes Benz this week I decided to share with you what I do, I used my iphone and I made a quick video showing you how I avoid water damage when window tinting, all it takes is a towel, a few rags or I like to use a ShamWow cloth which is very absorbant and you are playing it safe and keeping out of trouble.

Watch this video for more information

So the bottom line is pay attention and do some research on the vehicle in question before commencing the installation, this information is not meant to scare you but give you an idea of what to look out for when you are working with high end vehicles and the pitfalls you may come across on your journey as a professional window tinter.

I have some new training videos for window tinting at this other site. Read more

Making Your Window Film Patterns

One of the first steps in car window tinting you must master is pattern making.
I will give you a few ideas of how I make my patterns and show you how to do this without cutting with your Olfa knife directly on the car.

Window Film

We will start with cutting a pattern for a fixed window, this can be a static quarter glass or back window.
This one little tip will potentially save you from future hassle.
Once you have shrunk your pattern to the shape of the window, then we need to cut the pattern , in this example we will assume the vehicle has a dot matrix area around the edge of the window.
Instead of just cutting directly on the car, use either a small piece of the plastic tape, the sort of tape they use to wrap around cardboard boxes for transporting them or use a thin button as used on a small child's piece of clothing.
Slide the tape or button under the film and sit the blade of your knife onto the button/wrapping tape - then cut out your pattern. As you will be sliding the button/tape along the glass with your blade, your blade will not have contact with glass directly and will stop you potentially scratching the glass and will extend the life of your blades.

This tip is one you should certainly introduce into your pattern making so you can cut your patterns quickly and without any risk of scratching the vehicle glass


You too can  Learn To Tint - pay us a visit. Read more

Car Tinting In Cold Weather

Infra Red Heat Lamps To Dry Window Film

There are lots of considerations when you're acting to windows in the winter, the first thing you need to think about is the temperature in your workshop. Make sure it's as warm as you can afford to make it.
That brings me to the point about the heating of the workshop, how do you propose to keep your temperature above freezing. There're a variety of heaters in the marketplace, and I suppose it depends on your insurance requirements whether you are allowed to use a naked flame in the building. Many insurance companies will not allow you to have life flames due to the risk of fire.
It's a good idea to get the vehicle temperatures as warm as possible which will obviously increase the temperature of the glass. If you try and tint with the temperature below freezing you asking for trouble if you don't take the right steps in the process.

Make sure you have a very weak slip solution, has too much soap will prolong the drying time of the window film and this can lead to trouble with your customer, the window film will be hazy due to the moisture retention and their are cases where the trapped solution between the film and glass has frozen!

The addition of some IPA in the slip solution will promote faster drying of the window film, but don't overdo it as it can soften the glue if you're not careful. So do you would do normally but make sure you give an extra pass with the squeegee to remove as much water= as possible from beneath the film, as this is a time of year is when lots of people tinting window can get problems

Choosing the right window film can make a difference as well to the jobs. I like a film with a fast acting adhesive such as Global QDP, combined this with your week slip solution and you should have a fast tacking film that makes life a little easier.

You may also find it necessary to heat the vehicle to dry the film there are a few ways to do this, aif it's very cold outside,close the doors and put the heating on and medium temperature, this is my least favourite way of doing this I much prefer to use infrared heat lamps to dry the film, just don't get too close to the vehicle as you may get a bubble forming due to the film drying fast and pushing any slip solution out as it dries.




If you do suffer with peeling with your installations that normally down to the patterns been incorrectly sized. Maybe you're trying to hide too much film below the top of the rubber trimming the door at the sides. Become more economical when cutting your patterns and you'll find that this will improve,obviously you need to make sure you round off any corners were making your patterns

So it's not easy tinting in cold weather and I'm really glad I don't live in a climate that stays below freezing for long. I've seen people just use something like a Yellow Turbo squeegee on the film and then take the car outside, surely this is asking for trouble as you leave too much slip solution between the film in the glass. My preferred method is to use a blue max squeegee,then a hard card with some masking tape

on the edge, a blue hard card works well, and really go to town on the film and get it is dry as possible, if you don't have any infrared lights, than use the heat gun on a medium setting but make sure you dry the film evenly from the outside of the glass.

For the back glass, some people prefer to turn on the heated rear screen and leave the vehicle sat with the engine running, not very economical way of doing it really!

So before you jump in and just tint the car in the normal way, think about the temperature and how you are going to adjust your method to suit the cold weather, this job ain't easy

Read more