What 70%, 50%, 35%, 20% and 5% actually look like, which are legal where, and why shade and heat rejection are separate decisions.
These swatches simulate how much light each shade lets through. Film samples held against your own glass in daylight are the real test, and we do that at every appointment.
Nearly clear. UV and glare protection without a visible tint. Popular on windshield strips and for drivers who want no dark look.
Light smoke. Noticeable in daylight, easy to see through at night. A lighter option for drivers who find 35% too dark.
The Maryland limit for cars and all front doors. Clearly tinted, private from a distance, still good night visibility.
Dark. Legal in Maryland only behind the driver on trucks, SUVs and vans. Hard to see in from outside.
Limo. Legal in Maryland only behind the driver on multipurpose vehicles. Very dark at night from the driver's seat.
Percentages are visible light transmittance, or VLT: the share of light that passes through glass and film together. Lower is darker.
The single most common misunderstanding about tint is that darker means cooler. It does not, or at least not much. The percentage on a film describes how much visible light it lets through. Heat arrives mostly as infrared, which you cannot see, and how much of that a film blocks depends on what the film is made of, not how dark it is.
A 70% ceramic film, nearly clear to the eye, blocks more heat than a 20% dyed film. That is why we talk about two separate choices at every appointment: how dark you want the car to look, and how much heat you want blocked. The first is shade. The second is film type, covered in our film comparison.
For a Maryland passenger car the answer is 35% on every window, full stop. For a Maryland truck, SUV or van it is 35% on the front doors and your choice behind. The Maryland tint law guide has the details.
On a truck or SUV with factory privacy glass, 35% on the fronts gives a close match without being illegal. On a car, 35% all around is a uniform, finished look. Going darker in the rear of an SUV, 20% or 5%, is popular with parents and anyone hauling tools.
35% is comfortable at night for almost everyone. 20% takes some getting used to. 5% on rear glass means relying on mirrors and cameras when backing up at night. We will tell you honestly if a shade is going to annoy you.
At the walk-around the technician holds film samples against your glass in daylight, from inside and outside the car. That beats any photo, including the swatches above.
From a few feet away in daylight, yes, you cannot make out faces or what is on the seats. Up close, with your face to the glass, you can see in. 35% is a privacy shade, not a blackout.
A little, but not much. Darkness is visible light. Heat is mostly infrared, which depends on the film's construction, not its shade. A 70% ceramic film blocks more heat than a 20% dyed film.
Yes. Our installers daily drive 35% cars. Backing up at night in a dark lot takes a little more care than clear glass. 20% and 5% are where night visibility becomes a real tradeoff.
Usually in the 15% to 25% range, which is why matching 35% film on the front doors of a truck looks slightly lighter than the rear.
Always. We hold film samples against your glass in daylight at the walk-around, before anything is cut.