Getting started

[Guest Dark Knight]

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and wanted to get some advice on how one can get started with automotive window tinting. I want to get into the  business but I have no experience. Is it possible to buy window film without a business license? I want to practice on my own cars and family and friends' cars to gain experience before anything. What recommendations do you have on getting started? What do I start with first? What tools and equipment do I need? Any advice is appreciated. 

 

 

[TintDude]

I'd try to get some experience by being a helper in a tint shop.

[Ryan1]

I am in the exact same boat.

 

Wanting to tint my own cars and I am a DIY person.

 

I spent hours and hours on youtube looking at how others do it, and tools they use.  Window tinting is a very small toolset.

 

I went ahead and just purchased all the tools and tint I needed to do my own cars.  then the extra will be used for friends and family cars, either free or cover the cost of materials to get my money back.

 

I did the following

 - purchased tools from about 3 different places.  a few cheap items on amazon, rest at SolControl, NDGraphics and 44tools ( which i wont order from again... )   I am in canada, so going across boarder is a pain with taxes and duty.

 - I already had a heat gun.

 - i got : P2 sprayer, various squeegees and cards, blades, knife.   

 - i ordered one roll of 5% Suntek, split roll cut in 24" and 36" .

 

Then, just went to town on my daughters car.  first window ( the small 1/4 glass ), took me about 8 tries.   

 

try - check, peal and re-do.

 

not much to it.

 

Rear window was the hardest... mostly because of contamination.   took me 3 tries.   it's not 100%.   there are a couple flaws with some debris.   but, for her car, she is very happy with it.... except I only see the flaws when I look at it.

 

To start off, with the tools and 1 full roll of tint cost me about $550 .

 

i have since gotten a second roll of 35%.

 

 

Now, it's just a matter of going a few cars for $50 - $75 to recover some cost.

[Justint]

I started tinting about a year and a half ago, I would buy cheaper tint to practice with (Lexen was my go to practice tint, and seems to hold up on my friends cars) and wasting a ton of $$$ on tint film after a few months I started getting decent enough to charge for it. I ended up getting a license and have a few hundred cars under my belt now, I’m still not the best and have to learn a lot but just takes a ton of repetition. Hardest thing for me was getting clean installs and learning how to properly clean a window before the install but overtime you learn what works best for you. 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Justint

[Guest Winston]

How do you get a clean window, and what kind of license do you need. I’m a beginner.