Many people think all window film is created equal and that a shop charging more for a tint job is simply more expensive. At Audio Designs & Custom Graphics, we want you to know that there are many different grades of window film, and to be blunt, the cheaper options are downright inferior. Let’s explore some of the differences in window film.

Dyed Films Offer Very Poor Value

Let’s start with the $129 tint jobs. The only way a shop can charge that low of a price for a window tint job is by using inferior quality, Chinese-made dyed films. These products will cost you significantly more money over the next year than a better film would. These films are dyed using the three primary colors—yellow, red, and blue. Within six months, the yellow dye will evaporate, leaving only the red and blue dyes, which creates a purple hue. You’ve probably seen vehicles with purple tint. Another issue with these films is their durability. They are single-ply films with minimal scratch protection, so they damage easily. Have you ever bought really cheap garbage bags? Ever notice how easily they tear? That’s because they are thinner and made of cheaper materials. The same goes for window tint.

Metal Films Interfere With Electronics

The next level of film is high-performance or metal film. It is still dyed but uses less ink, with the metal in the film making it darker. It will still fade over time, though it happens more slowly. The bigger problem here is the metal in the film. When you’re inside your vehicle, the metal negatively affects your GPS, cell phone reception, and cellular data. The biggest issue arises in modern vehicles where the radio antenna is embedded in the glass. In these vehicles, your radio reception can be affected, and in severe cases, it may be dramatically reduced. Many of these films come with a “limited lifetime warranty,” which, in simple terms, means they will not cover fading. Most of the window tint shops in our area use this type of film, so we suggest you ask to see the warranty card.

Our Window Film Professionals Offer Something Better

Now that we have talked about films that you don’t want let’s talk about films you should consider:

Carbon Film

Our Carbon film uses a proprietary design with innovative carbon technology instead of metal. It has a non-reflective black look that will never fade. Since it’s not made of metal, you won’t experience any of the side effects of “high-performance” films. This film comes with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer, which includes fading protection. While this type of film should cost almost $100 more per vehicle than metal films, we offer it at a competitive price because we want to give our clients a superior product.

Ceramic Films

Our Ceramic window films are our top-of-the-line films. They also come with a lifetime warranty, with one key difference: this film can block up to 96% of the sun’s heat energy, known as infrared. Once this film is installed on your vehicle, you’ll notice an incredible difference in interior temperature. Imagine going out to your car on a hot summer day and only needing to keep the A/C on low after a few minutes. Ceramic film also provides much better clarity, especially at night, improving your outward visibility. This film is available in various shades, from 70% clear film to 5% limo film, and in heat rejection levels from 80% to 96%, depending on which grade of ceramic you choose. Have you ever noticed how much heat enters your car through the windshield when driving? Our 96% heat rejection film will dramatically lower the heat and protect your skin from harmful UV rays.

Audio Designs & Custom Graphics Does Window Film Right

We invite you to stop by Audio Designs & Custom Graphics. We have an interactive display that uses a heat lamp to show you the difference in heat rejection with our ceramic film. As with everything we do, your vehicle will be treated with the utmost care by our award-winning staff. Feel free to contact us here for more information on any of our products.

 

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