Now sold as ASWF Retro Black and Retro Charcoal.
Dyed film gets its darkness from dye in the polyester layers. It's the least expensive type and looks non-reflective, but it absorbs heat rather than reflecting it, and older dyed films could fade toward purple over time. Compare the types of window film.
- Technology
- Dyed
- Made for
- Cars and trucks
- Look
- Charcoal
- Darkness range
- 5% to 52% VLT
- Warranty
- 5 years (covers color change)
Full specs
Source: ASWF Retro product page, aswf.com (specs as published on 2026-09-28) (opens in a new tab).
| Shade | Visible light transmitted Visible light transmitted. Share of visible light that passes through the glass and film. Lower is darker. | Visible light reflected, outside Visible light reflected, outside. Share of light the window reflects outward: how mirror-like it looks from outside. | Visible light reflected, inside Visible light reflected, inside. Share of light reflected back into the car or room: how much you see your own reflection at night. | Total solar energy rejected Total solar energy rejected. Share of the sun's total energy (heat) kept out. Higher is cooler. | Ultraviolet blocked Ultraviolet blocked. Share of ultraviolet light blocked, the part that fades interiors and harms skin. | Thickness Thickness. Film thickness in mils (thousandths of an inch). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retro Charcoal 50 | 52% | 5% | 5% | 30% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Black 50 | 51% | 5% | 5% | 34% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Charcoal 40 | 43% | 5% | 5% | 33% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Charcoal 35 | 35% | 5% | 5% | 35% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Black 35 | 35% | 5% | 5% | 38% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Charcoal 20 | 22% | 5% | 5% | 39% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Black 20 | 22% | 5% | 5% | 39% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Charcoal 15 | 18% | 5% | 5% | 41% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Black 15 | 13% | 5% | 5% | 42% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Charcoal 5 | 5% | 5% | 5% | 45% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
| Retro Black 5 | 5% | 5% | 5% | 45% | 99% | 1.5 mil |
What the column names mean
- VLT
- Visible light transmitted. Share of visible light that passes through the glass and film. Lower is darker.
- VLR out
- Visible light reflected, outside. Share of light the window reflects outward: how mirror-like it looks from outside.
- VLR in
- Visible light reflected, inside. Share of light reflected back into the car or room: how much you see your own reflection at night.
- TSER
- Total solar energy rejected. Share of the sun's total energy (heat) kept out. Higher is cooler.
- UV
- Ultraviolet blocked. Share of ultraviolet light blocked, the part that fades interiors and harms skin.
- Thickness
- Thickness. Film thickness in mils (thousandths of an inch).
Figures are measured on single-pane clear glass; results on your windows will vary. The number in a shade's name is nominal; VLT is the measured light transmission.
Darkness limits for cars are set by each state. Check your state's tint law before choosing a shade.
Visualize the shades: tint preview and heat rejected
The tint preview shows how each shade darkens the view from inside (visible light transmission, VLT); screens vary, so use it as a guide. Heat rejected is total solar energy rejected (TSER): higher is cooler.
Similar films from other brands
Current dyed and closely related films for cars from other makers, to compare side by side. Films we sell are listed first.
| Film | Type | VLT | TSER | At TintCenter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GalaxieSolar Gard | Dyed | 5–52% | 31–44% | From $24.40: buy Solar Gard Galaxie True Black Color Stable at TintCenter |
| HP NeutralTintCenter | Dyed | 4–48% | 30–43% | From $17.92: buy TintCenter HP Neutral at TintCenter |
| Obsidian Series3M | Dyed | 8–63% | 28–44% | |
| DefenderCosmo Sunshield | Dyed | 70% | 20% | |
| MaxtoneCosmo Sunshield | Dyed | 50–70% | 20–25% | |
| SKYSTARHEXIS | Dyed | 5–67% | 28–43% |
VLT: darkness range (light let through). TSER: heat rejected, lightest to darkest shade. Makers measure differently, so treat close figures as a tie. Browse all brands and films.
Available at TintCenter
We sell ASWF Retro Non-Reflective from $15.10, cut to your length and shipped from Castro Valley, California.
Shop ASWF Retro Non-ReflectiveMore from ASWF
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ASWF RetroSold at TintCenter · cut to your length · ships from California
Shop nowfrom $15.10: buy ASWF Retro Non-Reflective at TintCenter