Dyed film
Lowest grade. Cheapest, darkens the glass, prone to fading and purpling within a few years.
Ceramic vs carbon vs dyed
Three grades of film. Only one keeps a cabin cool.
Carbon film
Mid-grade. Better heat rejection than dyed and does not purple, but still behind ceramic on heat.
Ceramic film
Highest grade. Best heat rejection, highest clarity, no interference with electronics, does not fade. Solar Gard VTX PRO is a ceramic-based film.
Up to 60% solar energy rejected
The number that matters on a 34° afternoon in Acacia Ridge — how much of the sun's energy never reaches the seats.
99% UV rejection
Protects the dash, leather and trim from fading, and the people inside from UV, at every VLT.
No signal interference
Non-metallic film. Phones, GPS, toll tags and keyless entry work exactly as before.
Choosing a VLT
Legal in Queensland. Dark where it counts.
VLT is the share of visible light the film lets through — lower is darker. Queensland sets the floor: front side windows at 35%, rear side windows and the rear windscreen at 20%, and only a band across the top of the front windscreen. Because VTX PRO rejects heat by its ceramic layer rather than by darkness, a legal 35% front still cuts the heat.
- Front side windows: 35% VLT minimum
- Rear side and rear windscreen: 20% VLT
- Front windscreen: clear or light film only, compliant
At the Acacia Ridge studio
Two to four hours in the bay
- Glass cleaned inside and out; old film removed if the car has it.
- Film cut to each window and shrunk to the curve of the glass.
- Installed wet, squeegeed and edge-finished.
- Checked under the lights, then handed back with the cure instructions.
A Runcorn customer on Google after VTX PRO on a RAV4: "the heat difference is remarkable. Had cheap tint before, this is a completely different product and installation quality."
Ceramic tint questions
Before you book
No. Darkness is the VLT you choose; ceramic is about what the film rejects. A 35% ceramic film and a 35% dyed film look similar from outside — the ceramic one rejects far more heat and will not purple.
Front side windows must let through at least 35% of visible light. Rear side windows and the rear windscreen can go to 20%. The front windscreen can only carry a band across the top, so a windscreen film has to be clear or very light. We only fit compliant VLTs.
Up to 60% of total solar energy, with 99% UV rejection. Because it is non-metallic it does not interfere with phone, GPS or toll-tag signals.
Most cars are done in 2–4 hours at the studio. A full car including the windscreen can take up to half a day. Everything is done in the bay in Acacia Ridge, not mobile.
Leave the windows up for 3–4 days while the film cures, do not wash the inside of the glass for seven days, then clean with an ammonia-free glass cleaner only.
Solar Gard VTX PRO carries a lifetime warranty for the original vehicle owner, installed by a Solar Gard authorised studio. Quality ceramic film can last 10–15+ years; low-grade film fades and purples within 3–5.