VLT, TSER and IR rejection, explained

Three numbers, three questions

A tint spec sheet lists a handful of percentages side by side, which makes them look like they measure the same thing. They don’t. VLT answers “how dark is the window?” TSER answers “how much of the sun’s energy stays outside?” IR rejection answers “how much of the infrared part stays outside?” Read them as three separate answers and most of the confusion goes away.

VLT: the number the law reads

VLT, visible light transmission, measures how much visible light gets through the window. A 70% film is nearly clear. A 5% film is limo dark. The lower the number, the darker the glass.

Two details matter on Maui. First, the shade printed on the film is for the film alone. Factory glass already blocks some light, so the finished window reads darker than the film’s number. Second, Hawaii measures the finished window, film and glass together. The front side windows and wing vents need at least 35%, with a ±6% tolerance at inspection, so a meter reading of 29% passes. That is why the shop meters the bare front glass before choosing a film. It’s also why a car shipped from the mainland often fails here with front tint that was legal where it came from; see Shipped to Maui?.

The ProLayers shades, film only:

• V6 Comfort: 5, 15, 20, 32, 35 and 43%.
• V10 Ceramic IR: 5, 15, 20, 35, 45, 55 and 70%.
• V16 Ceramic IR MAX: 5, 15, 35, 50 and 70%.

On its own, VLT says little about heat. It tells you how the glass looks, how well you see out at night, and whether the car passes its safety inspection.

TSER: the whole sun

TSER, total solar energy rejected, is the share of all the sun’s energy reaching the window that doesn’t make it into the car. It adds up the three parts of sunlight: visible light, infrared and ultraviolet. Because it counts all three, it’s the single number that tracks most closely with how hot a parked car gets.

Within one film line, TSER climbs as the shade gets darker, because a darker film blocks more visible light and visible light carries energy too. Across film types, the construction matters more than the shade: a lighter ceramic film can reject more total energy than a darker dyed film. So when you compare TSER, compare films at the same VLT, or you’re mostly comparing darkness.

IR rejection: one slice

Infrared is the part of sunlight you feel as warmth on your arm through the glass. IR rejection is the share of it that a film stops. It’s a real number, and it’s the one ceramic films are built around.

It’s also the number most often used to flatter a film. Infrared spans a wide band of wavelengths, and a maker can quote rejection over a narrow part of that band where the film performs well. That is how a film can advertise a very high IR figure and still post an ordinary TSER. An IR figure also leaves visible light out entirely, so it can’t tell you how a light film compares with a darker one.

Use IR rejection to compare films from the same maker, measured the same way. Use TSER to compare across makers.

Reading a spec sheet fairly

• Same shade. Compare a 35% film with a 35% film, not with a 15%.
• Same source. Use the film maker’s published data, not a headline number from an ad.
• Same basis. Data sheets usually measure film on a standard pane of clear glass. Your car’s glass will read differently, which is why the shop meters it.
• TSER before IR. If a sheet gives only an IR figure, look for the TSER before deciding.
• UV on its own line. UV rejection is about fading and skin, not the heat you feel. Read it separately.

How the three ProLayers films differ

Offshore installs three ProLayers automotive films. They differ in what they’re made of, not in how dark they are, and each one comes in a legal front shade.

• V6 Comfort is a carbon film with no ceramic layer. It’s metal-free, has a clean charcoal look, handles glare, UV and privacy, and is the lowest-cost way to film the whole car.
• V10 Ceramic IR adds a nano-ceramic layer that rejects infrared heat. It’s the film recommended for most cars.
• V16 Ceramic IR MAX rejects the most infrared of the three, which matters most on cars with a glass roof and on dark interiors that bake in the sun.

For exact performance figures, go by ProLayers’ published data for the film and shade you’re considering, not by a number quoted second-hand. On a sedan with four doors and back glass, tint totals $261 in V6 Comfort, $345 in V10 Ceramic IR and $418 in V16 Ceramic IR MAX, with Hawaii GET (4.712%) included, and the shop confirms the total before you book. The ceramic vs carbon comparison covers what you notice from the driver’s seat, and ceramic tint goes deeper on the two ceramic films.

What to tell the shop

Skip the spec sheet and describe the car. Where does it park? Is there a glass roof? Is heat, glare or privacy the main complaint? That decides the film. The shade follows from the law on the front doors and your preference on the rear; on an SUV, coupe or hatchback, the shop confirms the rear shade with you. Send the year, make and model through the quote form, or call (808) 707-7064.