If you have decided that you want to tint your windows then you have two options, you can buy pre-cut window film which will be the exact size for your car or you can buy rolls of it which you have to cut to size yourself. The problem with pre-cut film is that there is no room for error, make a mistake and you have to but a new window tinting kit.

You should always make sure that the film you have bought it road legal, the law has become very strict in the last few years. You are allowed up to a 30% reduction in light transmission on your windows before they are classed as illegal, if you are ever in doubt then be sure to ask them to double check before you buy them.

Once you have your window tinting kit you are all set to go. Make sure that the day you have chose is a nice warm day, excessive wind will increase the chance of dust getting behind the film as your applying it. It will also make it harder for you to steadily apply the film to the window without any creases. Never try to fit your tints in the dark or when it’s about to get dark, always allow yourself plenty of time as things may not go to plan and take longer than expected.

When you are ready make sure you thoroughly clean the window before you attempt to apply the film, don’t use any professional glass cleaning products as these will react with the adhesive on the film and will make the final outcome look bad.

Unroll the film and cut to the approximate size of the window, it is better to over compensate so you can trim it up and carry on, cut it too short and you have wasted a whole piece of film. When you are handling the film itself be sure to be careful and not get any creases as you won’t be able to get them out.

Spray the outside of the window being tinted with a weak soapy solution, some kits will include a formula to spray on but if not a little bit of washing up liquid will do the job!

Next you have to identify which way around the film needs to go, you can peel off one corner slightly if you are having trouble doing this. Once you have established this lay the sheet of film onto the glass.

Then spray it once again with the solution you made up in step 3!

Use a squeegee to remove any air bubbles and also make sure that the film is stuck securely to the outside of the window.

Once you are happy that it is securely on, get a really sharp knife and trim around the edges making sure there is no excess film. Be careful not to damage the window rubbers, bodywork or even yourself, the use of a straight edge will come in handy in this stage.

Go inside the car and prepare it for receiving the tint by spraying it with the soapy solution, make sure you cover any bits you don’t want to get wet by putting plastic underneath. You can also remove the panels if you are confident you can do it correctly.

Go back outside after you have done this to separate the films, an easy way of doing this is to attach two pieces of sticky tape on the corners and pulling them apart from corner to corner.

As you are pulling the films apart you can carry on spraying the solution on the tint making it easier to pull off without damaging it. Be careful that you don’t lift it to hard or fast or you may crease it which would ruin all the hard work you have done so far.

This is where you need the help of someone, once you have removed the film make sure you keep it crease free and move inside the car ready to slip it in place. It will be obvious which way it needs to go as it will only fit one way.

Once you have it flat on the inside of the window spray it with soapy water and use the squeegee in order to remove any bubbles and make sure it’s in place. It will be easier if you start at the top and work your way down, to get into the corners we found that removing the blade of the squeegee helped.

You are almost done! At this point you will find a strip at the bottom that wont stick onto the glass, don’t worry this is common. All you need to do is dry up any moisture with paper towels and grab a hot air gun or hairdryer if you don’t have access to one and warm the bottom up squeegee-ing it in place. Be careful using the squeegee when the film is dry as it can often damage it easily. Once everything is in place leave it alone until it is completely dry, don’t start to lift the corners to see if it’s ok, this will only prolong the process and could ruin the end result.