First off, i know i know this has been posted before and ive read them all but i need a little help...

I am taking my car in to get the fronts and a small brow to match up with the rears. When I told the guy he said they will tint it with 15% because that matches most factory tints. My question is am I gonna be ____ed when it comes out because that wont match up? From all the posts I've found factory glass is from 25%-35%. I am new to tinting so I just need some help so I know if I should call and tell them to use something lighter.

mint

 

I got 20%, a perfect match. I have seen 35 in person... too light, but legal in most areas.

 

So if i ask for like 25% will i be cool (if tint comes in 25%). Im telling you i dont know jack about tint.

thanks

 

I have not seen 25% in person.

There used to be a very knowledgeable person on this forum who tinted for a living. He swore up and down the xB glass was within a percent or two of 20%.

 

so i guess ill go 20%. From stuff I've read alot of people were saying the glass was like 22% or something along those lines but if yours are a perfect match then ill go 20%. thanks for the help

by the way is 15% that much darker than 20%

 

Its about 5% darker.

Tough to put in words, best to see in person. If anything I wouldn't go darker on the fronts than the back, might look funny. Just my opinion.

 

obviously lol ill just stick to 20%.

thanks again

 

Go with 20% for sure. It's an exact match on my Xb too.

Mav

 

mine 20% it matches perfect from outside but BE WARNED
there is a difference from cast tinted glass and the overlay. it may appear similar from outside but there will be a different color/tint appearance looking out from within

 

thanks for all the help

 

I agree, but the difference is very, very minor.

Post pics when you get it installed.

 

I have 20% on mine and it matches perfectly, you can't tell it wasn't done at the factory.

 

I have 25% performance true grey from Solar Gard. It looks great to me. The color from the inside and outside is so very close you wouldnt know it wasnt factory

 

i work with color and stuff a lot so i notice rediculously minor color changes but its not a bad thing who would really notice anyways right

 

Just a side note, the "clear" glass forward of the "B" pillar would measure a few percent already... Roll a side window down a bit and compare looking through the glass and not looking through the glass - you will see a slight amount of tint from the IR and UV filtering built in. I've heard it said it is about 3-4% in the visible portion of the spectrum. (Which would mean the "clear" glass is probably, actually 96-97% transmission.)

 

Maybe that's how "they" are coming up with 22-23% for the existing factory tint percentage and only 20% for the tint itself.

I bet 20% is the tint plastic only? 20% for tint plastic plus 2-3% from the glass would come out very close to the factory percentages... hmmm.

Hey that's probably what you were hinting at in your post!

Anyways, 2-3% difference here is likely indistinguishable. Can't wait to do this when we get paid next week. Just the info I needed. Thanks to all contributors on this link.

 

:D

 

Thanks for everyones help. I got them done yesterday 20% and it looks amazing especially on the black sand pearl.

 

PICS!

 

i wanna see some inside lookin out pix, i have posted in a previous thread about my tint mis-hap. the installer used 15% cause thats all he had it looked like crap WAY too dark. i wanna see what other shades look like from inside lookin out. thanx