What do window tint percentages mean?
The percentage is how much visible light the film lets through: a lower number means a darker window. A 5% film is very dark; 50% is light.
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What does VLT mean?
VLT stands for visible light transmission: the share of visible light that gets through. It is the number a tint percentage refers to.
Which percentage is darkest?
The lowest number. A 5% film lets through about 5% of visible light, so it is the darkest common shade, while numbers like 50% or 70% are light.
Does the percentage include the factory glass?
No. Makers measure film on clear glass; car glass often holds back more light, so the finished window is darker than the number.
The two multiply. For example, a 50% film on glass that lets through 80% gives a window that lets through about 40% (0.5 × 0.8 = 0.4).
Does a darker film block more heat?
Not always. In XPEL's specs, its light ceramic film at the 35% shade rejects more solar energy (59%) than its non-ceramic CS Black film at the 5% shade (45%), so the film type matters as much as the shade.
What percentage is legal in Tennessee?
Tennessee law sets a limit for the windows and a separate one for the windshield. Our guide to Tennessee's window tint laws sets them out.
Sources
- Film maker: XPEL, PRIME Specification Sheet, USA, rev. R0523 (opened )
XPEL is named only as a published source of film data; it is not a statement about the film we fit.
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