How to Tint Auto Glass?

Answer 1

Before you start tinting the windows in your car, make sure you check your area's laws on windowing tinting. You don't want to have to spend time and money tinting your windows only to end up receiving a traffic ticket fine, and having to remove your tinting. The best option of course would be to have a professional window tinter tint the windows of your car.

Step 1: Clean your windows. Clean them really good, otherwise you may end up with imperfections showing on your tinting from dust particles. Use a razor blade to scrap off particles from windows. Use ammonia free window cleaner to clean your windows.

Step 2: Remove anything that will get in your way for the tinting. This will include removing the third brake light from your rear window. You might have to remove the door panels to gain better access to your windows.

Step 3: Create your patterns. You don't want to press your tinting sheets along the windows to cut out patterns. It is much easier to create your patterns using freezer paper. Put the freezer paper against your glass and create your pattern on the freezer paper. Add 1” to your pattern.

Step 4: With your patterns created from the freezer paper, cut out pieces of window tinting using the patterns you have just created.

Step 5: As you apply your tinting sheets to your windows, you will need to apply soapy water to the windows for the tinting. Apply masking tape to the felt at the bottom of your windows to keep fuzz from collecting on your tinting sheet, and windows. Keep the windows clean.

Step 6: Roll your window down until it is about 2” from the bottom. Apply your tinting, use the squeegee to press out water and bubbles. Squeegee from the middle outwards. Your tinting is now anchored to your window.

Step 7: Roll your window up and continue to apply your tinting sheet. Using your squeegee to apply the tinting to the window. Go slow, take your time. Go too fast and your tinting might end up being misaligned, wrinkled, or air bubbles trapped underneath it.

Step 8: Use a hard card that comes with your tinting kit to tuck the tinting sheets along the edges. Keep the tinting sheet damp with soapy water while working with it.

Step 9: Repeat steps 3 through 8 again for your other side windows.

Step 10: Since the rear window is curved, you may have to apply your tinting sheet in 2 or 3 sections at a time. You can hide the seams of your sections by lining them up with the defroster element lines on your rear window. Apply the tinting as you did with the other windows. Take your time.

Step 11: Allow some time before installing your door panels and removing your masking tape. If you start to see sections of your tinting starting to pop up, wet the tinting with your soapy water and squeegee out the air bubbles or use the hard card when needed. You might have to do this a couple times for each window to ensure the tinting sheet doesn't have any more air bubbles.

Step 12: Now that you have applied your tinting, allow time for it to dry before removing your masking tape, and installing your panels. Keep your windows rolled up to keep the tinting in place while it dries.

You have now tinted your windows. Everything looks great, your windows provide shading from the hot sun, and privacy. Allow time for the tinting to cure, don't touch them for at least 5 days, and don't clean them for at least a month. Use only a soft cloth or sponge to clean your windows, otherwise you might scratch the tinting if you use items such as newspaper, or hard cloth. Do not use any window cleaning products that contain ammonia to clean your windows. The ammonia will react to the tinting and cause blotching.