Your Guide to Different Tint Shades

Thinking about tinting your car, home, or business windows? Then you'll want to know about the different tint shades to choose from. Learn about them here.

When you own a car, you may find yourself wanting to get your windows tinted. There are a variety of reasons to apply different tint shades to your windows, but there are also many options to look at for window tinting. Whether you want extra security or protection from the sun, knowing the right shades of window tint to apply to your car will be a major asset.

Most windows have a tint in the standard charcoal color and darkness that allows an interior to be visible. But if you’re worried about this getting in the way of expressing the look of your car or building, you’ll be happy to know there are many options out there to choose from. Not only that but there are also many options for how dark windows can be tinted.



Thinking about tinting your car, home, or business windows? Not sure what you should go with? Continue reading our guide if you want to know all about the different tint shades that you can choose from.

The Types of Tint

There are five different types of window tint. Dyed window tint is a simple tint that can help block out sun rays and absorb heat. Metalized window tint is a window film with particles of metal that help reinforce a window and reflect light.

Carbon film tint is a matte finish that blocks light and around 40% of infrared radiation. While crystalline film and ceramic tint are two types of tint that have various benefits with less darkening effects on windows. This includes keeping the area cooler and not reducing electronic transmissions from devices that have Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities.

The Darkness of Tint Shades

One of the biggest concerns with window tinting is how dark you can go with them. The legal shades of window tint can vary between different states, with some preferring lighter shades than others. This is commonly brought up with vehicles that have tinted windows.

In most locations, you’re allowed to tint windows just dark enough to see inside a vehicle or building. For cars, this means having around 35% visible light transmission and not less than 20% through all windows rear of the driver. There are a number of legal reasons for this that is different depending on local laws.

Darker shades of tint allow for less light to pass through the glass. Not only does this prevent harmful ultra-violet rays from damaging your skin, but also keeps the interior temperature of a car down. You also have less glare from any sunlight that hits the glass on windows.

These benefits don’t necessarily need to come from the darkest shades of window tint. Windows can be given medium to light tint and still provide all the protection you need.

Residential and Commercial Tint

Tinting a vehicle’s windows can come with a lot of rules and regulations that need to be followed, but window tint for buildings is a lot less restrictive. While there are still laws and other regulations, you have a lot more room to personalize and apply a range of tint shades to building windows.

There are two kinds of residential window tinting, translucent colored and pattern colored. These will either give a bit of color to the windows or a pattern that is more decorative for a home. Some patterns that are commonly used are colored squares and stained glass flowers, while translucent color films are often in blue or teal colors.

Commercial tinting is usually for industrial buildings, which has a number of great benefits. This can help improve energy efficiency, reduce heat inside, and prevent glare on computer screens from the outside. Most office buildings will have this, which offers an extra bit of privacy with reflective tinting.

For both kinds of window tinting, both residential and commercial buildings can benefit from having a unique aesthetic and security in different ways. A solid choice of the tint shades for a corporate building can give off a uniform and professional look, while the right tinting on a residential home can provide a welcoming and homey presentation.

Tint Color Options

For vehicles, you don’t only have the charcoal or grey tint, even though it’s the most common one around. Other tinting options include gold, which provides a different look than usual when applied to car windows. There’s also a blue color tint that occasionally goes onto the windshields of vehicles, as well as a bronze color.

However, most states have regulations on what can be done with window tinting colors. Certain places won’t allow a fully tinted blue windshield, while others may be more lenient.

Tint Shade Options and More

After reading our guide on tint shades, you’ll have a better understanding of what options are available and how they can be applied to your vehicle or building. Window tinting can be tricky to get right when you want your car or home to look its best in front of everyone. Window tinting can be a nice accent when you know how to sort through the many options that are open to you.

Looking to apply any tinting to your next vehicle or building anytime soon? You should visit Maximum Shade Tinting for the best options on window tinting for auto, residential, and commercial applications. The quality of the film they install will greatly enhance the look, functionality, comfort, and energy efficiency of your windows.