The three film types compared honestly: the one we install as standard, the upgrade, and the one we will not put on your car.
All automotive window film is a polyester sheet with adhesive on one side and a scratch-resistant coat on the other. What sits in the middle decides how it performs, how long it lasts and what it costs. There are three types that matter, and we install two of them.
| Dyed | Carbon Our standard | Ceramic Upgrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Polyester sheet colored with dye | Carbon particles in the film absorb infrared and stabilize the color | Ceramic nanoparticles absorb and reflect infrared without metal |
| Heat rejection | Low. Mostly blocks visible light | Moderate. Real improvement over dyed | High. Best available without a mirrored look |
| UV blocked | Over 99% | Over 99% | Over 99% |
| Color stability | Fades to purple in a few summers | Stable. Lifetime warranty against color change | Stable. Lifetime warranty against color change |
| Look | Flat charcoal | Neutral, slightly matte charcoal | Crisp neutral charcoal, lowest reflectivity |
| Signal interference | None | None | None |
| Price at Pro Tint | Not offered | Included: $108 cars, $60 truck fronts | Quoted per vehicle |
| Warranty | Typically short or none | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Dyed film is the cheapest thing on the market and it is what you get from a $70 tint special. The dye absorbs visible light, so the window looks dark, but it blocks little heat and the dye breaks down under UV. In two or three Maryland summers it fades to purple and the adhesive starts to let go. We do not stock it, and if you have it on your car now, removal and carbon is the fix.
Our standard film is a carbon film from Global Window Films. Carbon particles in the sheet absorb a meaningful share of infrared and keep the color stable for life, which is why we can put a lifetime warranty against fading and purple on every car. It is a neutral charcoal with a slightly matte look and no metal, so phones, GPS and toll transponders work normally. This is the film included in the $108 car and $60 truck prices.
Ceramic film adds a layer of ceramic nanoparticles tuned to absorb and reflect infrared. At the same 35% shade it blocks far more heat than carbon, and it does it without metal, so there is no signal interference and no mirror effect. It costs more per foot, so we quote it per vehicle. 3M film is also available on request for customers who prefer that brand.
Older heat-rejecting films used a thin metal layer. They work, but they have a mirrored look Maryland limits, and they can weaken cell, GPS and E-ZPass signals. Ceramic made them obsolete.
Get ceramic if the car parks outside at work, you drive a lot in summer, the interior is black, or you tried cheap tint before and felt no difference in heat. Get carbon if the car is garaged, your main goals are privacy and looks, or you are tinting a truck's two front windows to match the factory rear glass.
On the fence? Ceramic on the two front doors and carbon on the rest. The driver gets the heat benefit where it matters most and the rear glass gets the same look for less.
Shade is a separate decision from film type. A 70% ceramic blocks more heat than a 20% dyed film. Our tint percentage guide covers the darkness side.
Our standard film is a carbon film from Global Window Films, included in the $108 car and $60 truck prices. A ceramic upgrade is available on any vehicle and quoted per job. 3M film is available on request. We do not install plain dyed film.
If the car parks outside, you commute in summer or the interior is black, most customers say yes. If the car is garaged and your goals are privacy and looks, carbon at the same shade does the job for less.
Both carry a lifetime warranty against fading and color change, so the warranty is the same. Ceramic's heat rejection does not degrade over time. Plain dyed film is the one that fails.
Yes. Ceramic on the front doors, where the driver feels the heat, and carbon on the rear is a common and sensible setup.
Film makers publish total solar energy rejected (TSER) and infrared rejection (IRR). TSER is the honest number: the share of all the sun's energy the film stops. Ask any shop for TSER, not just IR, and compare at the same shade.