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

A Buyers Guide To Purchasing The Correct Window Film For Your Car

Car Window Tinting - A Buyers Guide To Purchasing The Correct Window Film For Your Car.

Since the mid 1970's people have been getting their car windows tinted, not only does it look awesome on your vehicle, but it is packed full of benefits too. In the hottest countries auto window film is not merely for looks, but is a serious requirement!
In the hotter climates you will come across lots of car window tinting businesses, because people really need the product, the comfort provided by the window tint offering  a defence against the scorching temperatures deems this an absolute requirement when living in your location.

In different parts of the world, the law enforcement regarding tinting your vehicles driver and passenger front windows seems varied, in hotter states of the US their seems to be more tolerance for this front door window tinting but across most of Western Europe, car window tinting is banned from being applied to the front doors of your car. I feel sorry for these folks, their respective goverments are saying that , you can protect your rear seat passangers but the driver, the man who matters on the road,you cannot have any extra comfort against the sun - hard cheese!

So how do you know what is good and bad window film?
Your location matters a lot...if you are in a hot country, you have to flex your budget and get the best you can afford. Aim to choose a good brand of film, something like Global film if its available in your location, or maybe  brands like Llumar, Hanita and Suntek.

Check with your installation company how long they have been trading with their products? Some companies like to swop films a lot, flitting between other brands dependant upon who has the best deals at the time and not being loyal to one particular bomb-proof product they know that lasts well in their climate.

Try and avoid the budget single-ply products as these are extremely thin, and just wont last in the hotter countries. If your budget allows go for a  2-ply auto window film with a no-fade warranty, the Llumar/ Global films are both good products that stand the test of time.Non reflective films are popular these days, but in Korea for example, they want shiny films and a window film product like Llumar ATR is a winner here, with this extra bling and reflection the film stops more heat, so has added benefits if you like that shiny look.
Aim to get a full warranty with your window film installation, one that extends across the time the vehicle is in your possesion, with a good branded film you can expect a product lifespan of 6-12 years, which will be more than enough as most peple dont keep their car such lengths of time.

So I have given you a few pointers that should help you make an informed decision when you next choose some window film for your vehicle. If you would like to learn how to tint car windows then check out our car tinting training videos.

Next Time - Tinting A Curved Rear Window

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