Ceramic, Carbon, and Regular Tint: What's The Difference?

When it comes to window tinting, choosing the right film can make a significant difference in comfort, aesthetic, and overall performance. Whether you're looking to block out the sun, improve privacy, or enhance your car’s appearance, the type of film you choose matters. In this post, we'll break down the key differences between ceramic, carbon, and dyed window films—three popular options with distinct advantages and price points. From heat rejection to durability and cost, you'll get the insights needed to pick the perfect film for your needs.

How Does Automotive Film Work?

Automotive film blocks heat by absorbing the sun’s harmful rays and dispersing that heat while driving.  This works differently than architectural film, which mostly reflects heat instead of absorbing it. This is because automotive tint is made of non-reflective and non-metallic material to prevent signal interference with your vehicle’s navigation/electronic systems. Therefore automotive film is constructed using either ceramic particles, carbon particles, or dyes to help cut down heat and visible light transmission (VLT).  Let's take a deep dive into the differences between the three types of film, and why all film is NOT created equal.

Regular Dyed Tint

Dyed film has been a go-to tint option for many years. Dyed window film is made with dye, polyethylene, and other UV blockers. The dye is applied between the adhesive layer and the protective top coating of the film. It is an affordable way to increase privacy and improve your vehicle’s appearance. 

Despite these benefits, dyed film is not as good at rejecting heat than other films. While all films can block up to 99% UV rays from sunlight, dyed film doesn’t do a good job of blocking infrared rays, which is the primary reason we feel the sun’s heat.  Without good infrared heat rejection, even a darker dyed film will have a hard time keeping your car cool.

Dyed film is also more likely to fade over time.  Especially in hotter climates, the sun can eat away at the dye, causing it to fade in color, bubble, or peel.  If you’re looking for window tint that will last long term, dyed film may not be the best option for you. However, dyed film can still last 5-10 years without any issues, so if you don’t plan to have your car any longer than that, dyed film is still a great option!

While dyed film has its limitations, it is still a viable option for car owners looking for a cost-effective solution and still want some basic benefits of window tint including: increased privacy, glare reduction, and decent heat rejection.

Carbon Tint

Carbon tint is constructed using tiny carbon particles mixed into film, rather than dyes. These particles are responsible for absorbing sunlight, particularly the infrared rays that generate heat, thereby providing good heat rejection and UV protection. Carbon film is particularly good at reducing heat at lower shades. As you reach the lighter shades, carbon film doesn’t perform as well, compared to ceramic film.  While carbon film can block up to 77% of infrared light at 5% VLT, if you’re looking for a lighter tint on your car, carbon might not be the best option in terms of heat rejection.

Since the film is made from carbon particles, it typically has a darker matte finish and is less likely to fade, bubble, or peel over time.  These particles are much better at rejecting infrared light, still offering better heat rejection than dyed films, at any shade.  Therefore, carbon tint is a good mid-range option, being more affordable than ceramic tint but performing better than regular tint.

Ceramic Tint

In terms of automotive window film, it is safe to crown ceramic film the king. Ceramic film has significantly elevated the benefits of window tint. With nano-ceramic technology, ceramic film offers superior heat rejection, unmatched clarity, and extreme comfort to your vehicle.

Unlike regular tint that uses dyes, nano-ceramic particles are infused in the film, blocking out the majority of harmful UV and infrared light coming from the sun.  We feel heat from the sun, mainly due to the infrared light it produces. A good ceramic film can block close to 90% of infrared light! This can significantly reduce heat in your car, even on the hottest days of summer.

Ceramic film is highly resistant to fading, ensuring your window tint maintains its color for the life of your car. The structural stability of ceramic tint prevents bubbling and peeling, common issues faced by cheaper tints. Ceramic tint also offers superior clarity, ensuring your view isn’t compromised while still reducing the sun’s glare.

Ceramic tint is a great option for car owner’s seeking window tint with superior performance and high durability.  However, while ceramic tint is the most preferred option it does come at a relatively higher price point compared to regular, or even carbon tint.  Although, if your budget allows for it, ceramic tint is the absolute best option for keeping your vehicle cool, comfortable, and private.

Ceramic, Carbon, Dyed: Which Film Is Best For You?

Now that we learned about each film and what makes them different, which film should you choose for your car? Let's sum it all up!

When it comes to heat rejection, ceramic film is your absolute best choice. While all films block 99% of UV rays, ceramic can block up to 90% of infrared rays from the sun. This can significantly reduce the heat in your car, even on the hottest days. Ceramic tint also has the ability to reduce heat even at lighter shades.  A 35% VLT Ceramic tint can actually have better heat rejection than a 15% VLT carbon tint or even a 5% VLT dyed tint, keeping you cool with much lighter shades. While ceramic tint offers the best heat rejection, carbon film doesn’t fall too far behind.   Sunshadetint’s Carbon C2 film can block up to 77% of IR rays and is offered at lower price than our ProNano Ceramic film.  Carbon film is a great mid-range film that can also offer great heat rejection at lower shades. The difference, compared to the ceramic film, is that the heat rejection falls lower at lighter shades.  If you plan on tinting your car dark, carbon can be a great option in terms of heat rejection. While dyed films can reduce some heat in your car, it falls behind in performance compared to the other two films.  If reducing heat and keeping your car cool is the most important thing to you, dyed film might not be the best option.

In terms of lifespan and durability, ceramic takes the lead.  The nano-ceramic particles built into the film allow for great color stability, clarity, and significantly reduces glare. Ceramic film should never discolor, bubble, or peel and should last the life of your car. Due to carbon particles, carbon film also has great longevity and can last 10-15 years without any issues. While dyed film isn’t the most durable, it can still reduce glare and sunlight going into your car and can last 5-10 years without fading.  This is still a decently long lifespan for an affordable price.

While ceramic may seem like the best option, it does come at a relatively higher price.  The most important thing is to find a film that fits your budget and best meets your needs!  If you have the means, ceramic tint is the best option in terms of performance, durability, and appearance.  At a mid-range price carbon film can be a great option, performing especially well at lower shades. It can also have a slightly darker tone, giving it a different aesthetic. If you’re mainly going for appearance and increased privacy, dyed film is a great, cost-effective solution for you.

Tint Offered at Sunshadetints

At Sunshadetints we offer a ceramic, carbon, and dyed film. We use Geoshield’s ProNano Ceramic, C2 Carbon, and their ProClassic Dyed Tint. Learn more about our film on our automotive tint page. Refer to the chart below to get a brief comparison of each film.