Glass Tinting Supplies

11 hours ago, jofo said:

thanks for the input man! ill just keep rocking express untill i turn this side job into a real job 

Hello Jofo,

DynamicATL who has been a wonderful and respected contributor to this forum makes a good point. I don't think you can go wrong with sticking with the Classic Black from Express. Not just in the short term either....

It's a hard balance to offer a high quality film to beginners and seasoned professionals alike, however I think the Classic Black offers just that. We all had to start somewhere I guess and I know that I had to learn some hard lessons that could have been avoided if we had access to the social networks available today.

I can recall 'bumping' into other tinters by chance and striking up conversations. "What film do you use?" was one of the first questions asked... You see Jofo there was no medium for tinters then to vent their frustrations on issues and failures that one would experience with today's options... Heck... The president of the USA tweets his thoughts on the run.

My point? For me to find out if a product I was installing was going to have issues it was a matter of running into other tinters that were experiencing issues themselves. Many of those issues have certainly be confirmed since, but these days major failures can be shared virtually in an instant.

The thing that Express window films has is experience. They have been around since 1980. Their president Howard Paritsky knows a thing or two about window film. He has to endure the hard lessons regarding what window films are best to distribute and what is best to avoid. It's the knowledge that Express has accumulated over the past 4 decades that has been so valuable. They could go for the products that are supplied by the guy that comes over for a BBQ every Sunday or the folks that seem super nice to deal with. It's tempting for sure... However those hard lessons have been the best lessons learnt in understanding that when things go bad, nobody wants to back up their promises.

You mentioned you use the Classic Black range. Here's some interesting information that very few people may know.... 

The custom specific Classic Black formulated polyester first ran of the production lines almost a decade ago, since that time there has been 33,000,000.00 sqft of this true color stable premium film distributed to all parts of the Globe.

That equates to around 1 million vehicles professionally fitted with this film. The most amazing part of these statistics is that there has not been a single longitudinal failure reported to this very day!

Hopefully this information helps in understanding why choosing a distributor that has such vast experience helps when choosing the right products. I think in time you will begin to understand that consumers are not looking for a cheap option, but more a reliable service.

Have you a great weekend.

Michael.

On 6/13/2019 at 10:09 PM, Tint PB said:

I am new to the forum and have been tinting in South Florida for 20 years.  I am looking for a new brand of window film to sell that has all-around good film and customer service.  I am currently using 3M and have used Llumar, Suntek, ASWF,  and Viper.   I was interested in Global window film and SolarFX to name a few based on this site.  Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Dear Tint PB,

My thoughts are that 3M run a wonderful brand push. However my personal thoughts are that 3M don't put enough focus on usability.

I will be brief. I would suggest contacting the crew from Express Window Films based in Orlando to ask for the best range to suit your needs.

In my defense for sounding like an advertiser that would receive kick backs, I can only say that the experience that Express offers has made ours better.

I feel it a good business/life decision to contact the peeps at Express and have them share their unsurpassed knowledge.

Michael.

On 6/10/2019 at 8:31 AM, Taco_Conch said:

I live in Texas where tint is big business.  In my particular county, dealerships are naturally greedy and have in house tinters to save money.  I'm currently an in house tinter.  I've been working along side a bum who, without exaggeration, tinted about 2 cars a day.  Meanwhile, I have been averaging about 14 cars a day.  The aforementioned bum recently quit and I was excited to have all the inventory to myself.  Keep in mind, every single car on the lot is tinted within a day of it coming in due to my work habits AND I DON'T GET COMEBACKS!  However, my boss feels that it's necessary to hire another tinter in the unlikely event that I get sick or hurt for a week.  I've consistently proven to him that I can handle the workload and am ridiculously reliable.  He knows that I want to work by myself but I honestly think he's annoyed that I'm making more money than him.  What should I do?  Find another job first and give him an ultimatum?  Say, "Fuck it!  No 2 weeks notice and move on"?  Or move to another county without in house tinters and start my own business?  Thanks.

Dear Taco_Conch,

The extremely experienced folks that have offered you advice are correct in me own opinion.

I felt the desire to respond simply because I have contracted a long term (High volume) dealership tinter in the past 18 months and his inner most thoughts are that he was being used and tinting in the same place for the same ungrateful people day in and day out was "Soul destroying".

He is not engineered for running a business of his own, but he is a wonderful people person, so he is an absolute pleasure to work with and I feel like he is an asset to the business. There's more than meets the eye in regards to running a business of your own... Leaving work at 5pm sharp is not an option if you want to grow your biz.

It's funny how confidence can play such a critical roll in business and it sounds like you just need to speak to someone experienced that can point you in the right direction from a business aspect to be able to assist in your current situation.

Take a deep breath and reside in the fact that you have the skills that your employer needs.

Hope this helps.

Michael.

Hi Bestdealtinting,

The new 3M supplier is Spicers. https://www.spicers.com.au/architecture-interior-design/automotive/automotive-window-films

Hope this helps.

Hey there,

I'd like to take a moment to make mention here on the best tint forum in the world that we have connected with an efficient air-freight service to offer the entire range of window film and tool products to our mates across the ditch.

A vast choice of quality Automotive, architectural, safety/security, decorative and specialty films, along with our entire tool catalogue can now be quickly and safely distributed to all parts of New Zealand. We stock some hugely successful products, both automotive and architectural that are very well suited to the NZ market that are yet to be experienced outside of Australia.

An added bonus to this, is all tinting operators can now access and use the advanced GTSpro APP to produce professional and fast quotes/estimates and purchase products in seconds.

For more information, or to request samples and pricing, please register your interest at www.tintingsupplies.com.au/register or to download the GTSpro APP simply follow this links below..

Apple (Itunes)  https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/gtspro/id1231224158?mt=8

Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tintingsupplies.app 

Looking forward to saying G'day.

Many thanks,

Michael (GTS)

Hi CncCustoms,

I can understand that you don't want to miss out on a good paying job, however if you do decide to proceed given the chance of glass failure is pretty high, you might want to cover your bases by having the customer accept the risks involved in writing.

Express Window Films may have a product that suits if the total area of the pane is less than 40sqft. I'll attach the information to this post. 

NE Neutral 35 - (TSER) is 50%

Hope this helps.

On 8/31/2018 at 8:42 PM, Tint-Titan said:

Hi,

I am a new member so please forgive me if there are past threads about this.( tried searching but couldn’t find anything) 

 

i am am totally obsessed with manufacturing my own window tint. I look at cars everyday and imagine a unique looking tint on the every car.

 

i have some sort of idea of what kind of tint I am looking for but I’m finding t difficult to make the right “look” as to physically see it. 

 

I am just stuck on where to start? 

 

I would really appreciate any advice you might have. 

 

Thanks.

Hi Tint-Titan,

Nice to E-meet you.

Manufacturing your own window film would be a heck of an adventurous achievement unless you have a surplus of capital you wouldn't mind laying on the line.

Total investment would really depend on the level of quality you would like to have for the finished product. There are a number of window film producers/manufacturers that would be happy to take your money and attempt to construct the film you desire if you are able to meet their MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity).

My guess is they will only invest the time and energy into creating your specific recipe in the event it will be a product they will produce again and again.

If you want to build your product with the best components money can buy, you will only be able to do so via a small few 'manufacturers'. These will be the bigger producers of finished goods that have access to the very best in adhesive, particle and color/colour stable technology.

The draw back is those guys already produce a vast amount of window film, and supply components and polyesters of differing stages to other window film assemblers throughout the world, and might not be interested in making a '1 off' line. Who knows??

My hope would be that you achieve your goal and make the best window film on the market... I worry that it would be a long journey for you, and could be very expensive.

Hope this helps.

Michael

Nice waiting area!

All adds to the customers experience and satisfaction.

Cheers

On 8/15/2018 at 1:09 PM, bbvaldezjuly4th said:

I compliment a film company that kicks azz and that is your response? Wow. Actually no. No wow really. I've seen this all before. 

Im not shocked. 

 

At some point the seeds you sow will become fruit. 

Hi Rayno Rick,

I'm not sure why you have assumed my post was directed at you? Did my statement strike a resemblance to your current practice?

Thanks for the biblical agriculture advice... I agree wholeheartedly.

3 hours ago, fea said:

Hello

 

we are starting a new business for cars window tint, we are looking for a good and very high quality of films.

we heard about ceramic films and carbon films which are the best in the market. I would love to hear from you what is the best and if you can recommend brands to us.

as we are looking to buy films and to install it in our shop not to get involved to be a dealer.

we would like to hear from you and give us your suggestion.

Hello Fea,

Nice to e-meet you.

You are blessed to be able to access a number of very good quality options.
Given your harsh environment, you will need a range that has a history of longevity. The very highest performing films that fit this criteria come from Eastman and Garware. Their adhesive formula has been time tested for a generation.
 

Huper Optik, Llumar, Global, 3M would be brands that might suit your market. I believe that Mist of Miami is the Global distributor for the UAE, so they could look after you from a Global perspective. Or Express Window Films carry's a vast catalog of products that would include a premium range that may suit your needs.

I'm not sure who represents Eastman in your area, but maybe the great, admired and well respected Smarty 2 Shoes could assist.

Good luck in your venture.

GTS

On 8/12/2018 at 1:52 PM, bbvaldezjuly4th said:

I wish I could publicly say who makes it. :-)  ( I could if I didn't care about ethics but I really like the people at Xpel and several of the higher ups are on WFR. One is even on the leadership group. I'm not sure if I should name drop here but definitely good people and highly professional) 

 

I can say that I absolutely trust it based on knowing who does make it! 

 

The window film world is complex from one perspective but simple from another. 

 

I find it incredibly interesting to watch marketing from the different companies that actually have the same supplier. 

 

 

Hi Rayno Rick,

Companies such as those you mention put a great deal of energy and expense to give the tools that their customers need to be able to get the best return on their purchase of products. Years of brand building, marketing and support structure and sales materials, supply chain, warranty policies and networking...

This is the driving force behind the growth and success of those that install the products..

I'm sure it's much harder than running a Facebook group from your phone and giving the old "Hey guys... Wink Wink, it's another more popular brand in a different box for a few bucks less".

;-)  ;-)

On 4/14/2017 at 9:02 AM, jaydossignet said:

I buy from these guys, great film and great service.

www.tintingsupplies.com.au

Hi jaydossignet,

Kind words... Thank you.

Your a pleasure to deal with yourself.

Be safe.

On 6/30/2018 at 9:25 AM, quality tintz said:

Do the heat lamps and all the info lie just wondering???

Hi Quality Tintz,

The heat lamps demonstrations themselves don't lie... It boils down to the individual that is demonstrating.

A heat lamp can physically prove to a customer how well a film can reduce transmission of Infrared heat. However the customer should be aware that when they are driving their vehicle out under the earth's sun, it produces vibrating photons in the form of solar energy that simply won't be emitted from an everyday heat bulb.

An Infrared heat bulb puts out energy in the wavelength that humans are most sensitive to, (Vibrating photons that penetrate our skin) however IR energy is only part of what causes 'heat build up'. So I think a good way of describing the effect that a heat bulb demonstration offers would be 'The instant feel factor'.

The reduction of IR in summer might feel pleasant... However IR heat can be quite welcoming during the cooler periods. Think of how nice it feels to turn on your bathroom heat lights and stand under them when getting out of the shower... Make sense?

For an accurate overall gauge of a films performance, it would be best to refer to the 'TSEr' Total Solar Energy Rejection. This accounts for the IR performance.

Hope this helps.

On 7/10/2018 at 7:02 AM, quality tintz said:

I thought i was the only one that saw this glue smearing or tearing problem mostly happens when bottom loading or sliding rear window in place. Love these two films but not this glue dawn and even tint slime cause this problem only time it dosent do it is with generic j and j not enough slide action for me in summer time though..???

Hi Quality Tintz,

If you are using a trigger sprayer, my instincts are telling me that it could be a build up of soap slime in the trigger nozzle of your sprayer.

During summer I'm sure you would be adding far more slip to your bottle. What can happen is the funnel at the end of the sprayer can become blocked with built up soap. Then as you spray, the build up is released in clumps out of the sprayer nozzle. This would appear to look like clear clumps of adhesive.

The films you mentioned contain aggressive adhesive, and compensating that, combined with the heat of summer means adding lots of slip. 

To test this theory, simply change sprayers or run some very hot water through your sprayer to clear out the parts.

Hope this helps.

On 5/21/2018 at 11:02 PM, Ryker said:

Klingon

Hi Ryker,

Not sure if the Klingon range is available for Earth currently?

Communication with the supplier can be tricky, especially when you don't have a gravitational energy photon receiver. The last time I ordered from the distributor the delivery crew was vaporized by an exploding dwarf star whilst in hyperspace. Their no refunds policy left me 3 standard di-luminum crystals out of pocket, and with no Klingon... 

Logistics can be an issue. The nearest stockist is 2-3 light years away. If you want it delivered Express via a tear in space time... That's going to cost you.

Also, I picked up a interstellar communication from a tint shop in Gamma Zone section 12-B. Apparently Klingon are setting up exclusive territories. And our solar system has been allocated to Regon 6J. And we know those guys are just going to keep all of the Klingon for themselves... Or double the price. 

There are other good local Milky Way based options, but nothing beats Klingon... The stuff shrinks like butter!

Cheers

Hi FehrTintGuy,

Could I suggest calling the team at Express Window Films?

They are conveniently located only 25-30 miles away from you in Placentia.

As for a film suggestion, I can happily say that the custom-specific color stable Classic Black formula has been installed on the equivalent of around 1 million vehicles in all parts of the planet. To be more precise... Express Window Films has distributed 32,826,539 sq/ft of Classic Black since first running off the production line. That's not the most interesting part though...

There has not been a single longitudinal failure to this very day.

I hope this helps in some way.

Michael. 

Hi Dryshrinker,

From what I see via the media, meth addition is a common sign for random aggression.

From the way you handled it, you would at the very least have a good case in court. However as far as the entire online review system, I can only hope that at some point that some tech savvy teenager comes up with a fair way to allow established and ethically minded businesses to protect themselves from random 'crack head' customers.

It is sometimes very hard to build the drive to be the very best, when you are prone to your less savvy competition to create fake reviews. It takes the 'wind out of the sails' so to speak. 

Take care,

Michael

Well I wish I could meet Counterpart also. It would make a trip to the SEMA show worth while.

Howdy to Bham and Dynamic and my other ol mates.

Rick Tallman makes a great point. Boy would it be great to catch up with him at one of these industry eventd one day. His passion is infectious.

TSEr vs TSEt.

Well. One is Total solar energy rejected. And the other is Total solar energy transmission.

In simple terms,

Rejected is the total energy from the sun that is Rejected whilst the sun is directly on the glass.

Transmission is the solar energy that passes through the glass whilst the sun is directly on the glass.

Solar Absorption, Transmission and Rejection are contributing factors of determining TSEr.

If only there was a secondary figure that could better truly represent true heat rejection...

Happy to debate if anyone is interested.

Cheers

There seems to have been some success in reducing Haze/Hue in Ceramic based films over the past 3 years for some manufacturers.

Specifically those that own and operate particle grinding equipment. The ability to control the breakdown size of the metals/ceramics that are deposited into the films seem to have not just reduced Low angle Hazing, but also improved clarity and the overall performance of the film.

If you don't have the equipment to control particle size, then it would seem you are restricted to only working what is available.

Let's hope we see some break through products being produced over the next few years that will give the whole industry a boost!

Cheers.

Hi there Film Tack,

I just want to say that I enjoyed reading the information on this post. Every word of it. Thanks!

Particularly the Topic of 'UV 100'.

Lots of 'hype' words are used in our industry.. Carbon... IR... Nano Carbon... and so on...

You hit the nail on the head, and we can likely expect that the new 'hype' phrase will be UV100.

Like you stated, the window film supply market is tough. Any edge one can get is usually jumped upon, even if it is questionable.

I can see it now... "But madam, our competitor's product only cuts 99.9% of UV, and ours cuts 100%.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to put this information on Tintdude.

Take care, Cheers.

GTS 

100 more to go, custom printed film.

 

 

 

Cool Mike...

Your sitting on the dunny and your doing a runny and the door bell rings...

Just looking to see people's opinions on what they prefer between the two. Llumar isn't a option for now so I have to choose between these two.

Hey there..

I think you would receive better dealer support through SolarGard. They have been around a long time.

Good luck Sir.

Great ideas fellas!

I don't get many no shows.. Maybe 2-3 a year.

But I send out a text when the booking is made with date, address, price, etc..

My method now is if a customer doesn't show, if they want to reschedule another date, they must pay in full then and there or it's 'no tint for you!' They can not show up for the tinter across town...

If they don't think that is fair, after not showing to an appointment without even calling, then I don't want their business.

If someone doesn't show twice, that is the last work I will ever do for them. Hence I get very little no shows...

Might sound harsh, but not showing up, and not calling either is something that a-holes do.

Also, I am not sure how, but I think you can sometimes tell if someone is going to be a no show when they book in...

When folks say.. "Pencil me in for this day", I just tell them that I don't have a pencil, I have a pen. You want to book, or you want to wait until you are sure you can make it?

To be honest, I don't mind when I have a no show from time to time... I get a chance to clean up and catch up with little jobs. Cars for me at this stage are just a hobby. I can often make to same money from a 2 day commercial job, then I would make from tinting cars for 3 months. I just enjoy the mix of work...

Cheers.