How to handle dot matrix and tint?

[M3Drivincraze]

How is everyone handling the rear window tint where the dot matrix is? Vinyl at the top? Glue the tint? What looks the best and what lasts the best? My F1 dealer recommends vinyl at the top, thought?

[M2381]

I think badfish had his dot matrix sanded down but I haven't seen pics of it with the tint

[spectrumphoto]

Supriseingly my F1 dealer did a great job just on a basic install.. the 15% on the back has only very minor imperfections, the 35% on all sides looks great and the %50 on the windshield you could never tell that it is there... Had i though about vinyl I might have applied it to the back just for shits n giggles, but personally it looks damn good...

[badfish]

Originally Posted by M2381

I think badfish had his dot matrix sanded down but I haven't seen pics of it with the tint

They sanded it down but it didn't make much of a difference. Looks a lot like everyone else's tint. But I think if someone took a power sander to it, it would make a difference. I saw them bring out sandpaper and they did it by hand.

[n3985]

Old school and preferred way for the people who can't stand the look is to have the tint guy put black vinyl over it, so it is completely covered and then tint.

[endofanera7]

Originally Posted by n3985

Old school and preferred way for the people who can't stand the look is to have the tint guy put black vinyl over it, so it is completely covered and then tint.

+1, that's the only way to go!

[Blip Bavarian]

my rear window looks like shit. I have 20%, and the dot matrix looks whak. I want to add vinyl.

do i need to peel back or cut the tint ? would putting vinyl over the tint make a difference? what is the best option for me since my car is already tinted.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[MMMorish]

I just got my car tinted on this passed Saturday and my guy told me that all it would need is a bit of TLC about a week later. He said that by pressing it down he would be able to get about 95% of it out. If not, he'd vinyl it for me.

I guess I'll have to wait and see this Saturday.

BTW, got 20% rear windshield, 35% side windows and 50% front windshield. Looks sweet!

[monsta]

damn i just got mine tinted on Wed. wish I new about the vinyl I would have definitely told them to do that....guy said w/in a month it'll be fine but I don't really believe him...I'll give it a month though to give them the benefit of the doubt if not its vinyl time..

[Blip Bavarian]

Originally Posted by monsta

damn i just got mine tinted on Wed. wish I new about the vinyl I would have definitely told them to do that....guy said w/in a month it'll be fine but I don't really believe him...I'll give it a month though to give them the benefit of the doubt if not its vinyl time..

ive had my tint for several months, and the dot matrix looks the same as the day it was tinted; which is fugly. I think we'll have to retrofit vinyl.

[n3985]

+1 the way tint looks now = way it will look when it is "cured" "dried" or whatever terms your installer used.

[TLud]

Originally Posted by monsta

damn i just got mine tinted on Wed. wish I new about the vinyl I would have definitely told them to do that....guy said w/in a month it'll be fine but I don't really believe him...I'll give it a month though to give them the benefit of the doubt if not its vinyl time..

Don't wait a month. Give the tint 5-7 days to dry, and take it back to the tint shop to work out the bubbles a little more. Like others have said though, it won't be too much different from what it looks like now.

[hamann330ci]

A black vinyl strip across the top before applying the tint is the best option to rid of the dot matrix. You can also wait a about a week or so and go back over the dot matrix w/ your thumb/finger and push out the excess air bubbles out.