highplains

There is no such thing. Window film naturally looks clearer/lighter when looking out versus outside looking inside. However, the darker the film, the less visibility you will have looking out. Looking at one of his videos, the side window looks pretty clear because it is a sunny day, which allows it to look lighter since there is more light outside of the vehicle. The same way you can do 15% on your home but at night with interior lights, it looks like there is virtually no tint. Also, when looking at his video, you can easily see the side windows are much darker than the windshield when he pans around the interior. So no magic, no new technology, just a sales gimmick for an Amazon-quality film with some idiots believing you can install a 5% film but have 90% clarity looking out. Regarding Carbon Ceramic, I do not know of a quality brand that makes it. Many cheaper films add Carbon to their Ceramic films to make them color-stable. Adding Carbon is much cheaper for small manufacturers to make a color-stable film versus the standard dyed process. Only the big boys (Eastman/Garware/3M) have the money and technology to use the dyed method to make a truly color-stable film. If these small manufacturers tried this, their films would turn purple and fade quickly.

One thing with cheap customers is they are looking for the lowest price. I would get customers asking for a discount, so I would offer $10-$20 only to have it rejected. Yeah, I never go down in price now. Also, Ive noticed a high rate of cancellations with customers that are mostly concerned with price.

or a sharpie on an old liner works to make a template as well or a button under the film to keep your blade tip off the glass if you're doing a back window works well too.
 
I was specifically referring to using a blade to scrape the inside of the glass for prep/sticker removal more so than cutting your patterns, if you do you're in for a very bad day. Leave the stickers and use a gentle scrub pad (I use the blue scotchbrite) to prep.

Supercharged!
Full bumper, 18" Hood/Fenders, Ceramic front doors.
 
This one already had a little road rash from the summer season but otherwise pretty minty.
 
It's funny how the guys that daily drive these give you the smile when they hand you the red key  
The reality is that I try to move the hot rods around as little as possible. Always fun to hear 'em roar when they fire up though 

Nice. I did the doors on a similar one a couple months ago 

Nice cans!!

Ceramic doors and visor on this sweet rig today. Wouldn't fit inside but had great weather with no wind this morning.

My thoughts on this are that tint shops should have never started agreeing to discounts for dealerships.  I mean why? Because they bring you " a bunch of cars ".  Well so what.  That doesn't make them any easier to tint.  Dealerships ask for outrageous discounts and blame it on the volume they bring you.  Tint shops should have never started agreeing to these type of discounts.  Dealerships can well afford normal pricing.  If anything, give the 10% off the total of an invoice, not 10-20% off each vehicle.  At least that will cover you if they don't bring you a bunch of cars and will also give them a better reason to bring you more at one time instead of one here and there.  20% is not necessary in my opinion, but they will want at least that just because they are a dealership.  
 
This is just my take on this subject.  Many will have a different opinion, but I think if shops had stood their ground years ago on this, dealerships wouldn't expect these type of discounts.   

Slap whoever told you that.

So just to wrap up this thread, there was really no change to the clarity of the film from about a week following the install of the ASWF tint. I really couldn't live with the low quality of that film, especially on the windshield. The blurriness when the sun was at lower angles and then the ghosting of lights at night was too much.
 
I went to a shop which installs Llumar and Autobahn (Huper Optik) products. I had stopped by this shop earlier to get a second opinion after I had noticed the issues with the initial install. Yesterday, they installed a 70% VLT ceramic i3 film, which was a hard pill to swallow in terms of price plus the cost to remove the ASWF film. However, what a huge difference in terms of quality/clarity even with just one day of curing (there is still some moisture which needs to evaporate). There is virtually no low-angle haze I can discern, unlike the ASWF film, and no issues with lights at night.
 
I guess to some extent you get what you pay for. Lesson learned in the end after being out an extra $350 for the american shitty window film.

We did our 1st today, pretty easy vehicle including the windshield and pano.

*Has the factory UV coating on the glass - do not use a blade on the glass*
 
Overall an easy car for both tint and ppf.
 
Remove the cover plate behind the handle to expose a single phillips screw. After removing the screw the door panel tops can be popped loose and the lower seal removed. The back glass is an easy shrink, headrests are non removable and the roofline is low so access is a little tight if you're a taller individual like myself. 

*Has the factory UV coating on the glass - do not use a blade on the glass*
 
Overall an easy car for both tint and ppf.
 
Remove the cover plate behind the handle to expose a single phillips screw. After removing the screw the door panel tops can be popped loose and the lower seal removed. The back glass is an easy shrink, headrests are non removable and the roofline is low so access is a little tight if you're a taller individual like myself. 

this was my conclusion when looking into it as well. It's a great idea, especially for my area, but the performance, longevity, and value just isn't there yet for your average daily driver. 

this was my conclusion when looking into it as well. It's a great idea, especially for my area, but the performance, longevity, and value just isn't there yet for your average daily driver. 

We've looked into it multiple times and even got some samples, but we always come to the same conclusion, not worth it. It might be an option if your vehicle has a very expensive windshield. Otherwise, it will cost you just as much or more than new glass to swap this out every year, not to mention the required maintenance. It would be a great product if a brand resisted wiper scratching and had superior optical clarity. IMO, it is more of a cash grab for the shop than actual value to the consumer.

*Has the factory UV coating on the glass - do not use a blade on the glass*
 
Overall an easy car for both tint and ppf.
 
Remove the cover plate behind the handle to expose a single phillips screw. After removing the screw the door panel tops can be popped loose and the lower seal removed. The back glass is an easy shrink, headrests are non removable and the roofline is low so access is a little tight if you're a taller individual like myself. 

As far as the best heat rejection in the lightest shade you're probably still looking at 3M Crystalline. In terms of scratch resistance to a dog I don't know that any of them are going to be great long term. I can tell you that in my experience with various films from 3M, Suntek, Xpel, Llumar, and Global that the Global Ceramic film has the most robust scratch resistant coating of them all followed closely by the Xpel. As an installer I've gotten downright abusive with that Global and not had it scratch. 

As far as the best heat rejection in the lightest shade you're probably still looking at 3M Crystalline. In terms of scratch resistance to a dog I don't know that any of them are going to be great long term. I can tell you that in my experience with various films from 3M, Suntek, Xpel, Llumar, and Global that the Global Ceramic film has the most robust scratch resistant coating of them all followed closely by the Xpel. As an installer I've gotten downright abusive with that Global and not had it scratch. 

Redesigned 23. Front sweeps still pull from the top. Slight tug on the rear of the panel to release. I soaped the gaskets to make toploading easy.
 
Windshield was too tight to put a soak roap in so I recommend cleaning first before shrinking and final rince before installing to not over saturate all at once. Also recommend taping the suade pillar covers and putting a microfiber over the headsup display, or not if living on the edge is your thing.

Full front w/fenders, headlights, cups and luggage strip on a new Tellurride this week. All bulk installed with wrapped edges where possible. Also ceramic front doors and windshield. Washed and waxed prior to pickup since the owner was nice enough to leave it with me long enough to get the best possible results. Always nice when that happens.
 

 
Went edge to edge on the HL with a steamer just to show it could be done and because I've never seen anyone else do it. Those things have quite a lumpy curve at the bottom which is probably why. 
 
Interiors are pretty lux. If it had a Benz badge it would no doubt be twice the price and last half as long.
 
 

They might not like you either. 🤷‍♂️ Either way, the world keeps spinning.

Show me a company that isn't looking out for their shareholders and I'll show you a company that is at risk of suit for neglecting their fiduciary obligations.
 
Critical thinking requires the removal of personal opinions in the examination of the subject matter, which you are so far not capable of on this given subject.
 
I am not beholden to any company except my own and will choose what suits my market, just as you will. Fair enough.
 
You are welcome to make up your own opinions, you are not welcome to make up your own facts.
 
My personal opinion is that each company will do as they see fit with their respective products and brands. Your "facts" as stated is that Xpel has not had a failure. The overarching issue you point to as "sub par" is your dislike in their marketing, which would be fair if not for the veiled slander.
 
It's ok not to like their processes without slandering the products as a whole because of a personal grievance. That's where I take issue, because of the harm your intending on the company as a whole.
 
For the edifice of all that is reading, I am not an Xpel dealer, rep or associate, nor do I plan to be.

I'm glad @DynamicATL reminded everybody that Xpel is Garware.... aka Global.  Garware makes a SOLID product and Xpel is NOT stupid.  They hit the PPF market hard, with a solid product.  Why would they not do their research once again when getting into the film market. They went with what is known to be a solid manufacturer, picked the colors they wanted and started selling window tint.  I would have to agree that IF there are any failures in Xpel film it will not actually be the films fault.  I still have yet to have any type of Global failure that was actually film or adhesive failure.
 
edited to add that there is not a film out there that " likes " dot matrix. So that doesn't count.