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Sunvisor and windscreen lettering help needed.
I have had a few requests lately for lettering on a clear backing for a tractor windscreen, the customer would need to apply this themselves.
Do i look for any particular clear vinyl from my supplier for mounting the lettering on?Also, i need to do the same using a window tint vinyl, whats the best material for this?
Thanks in advance
BC
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15 Replies
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You wouldn’t need a different vinyl for the clear.
Bare in mind with the window tint that it is applied inside the window.
Also, anything in the sweep of the driver side wiper is an MoT failure.
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Brian, am I missing something here?? Why do you need to put it onto clear vinyl?? Just send them the graphics to apply to the windscreen with no backing. Putting it on clear is just going to make it more difficult for them to fit.
As Neil has said window tint goes on the inside so anything applied to it would be inside the car and unlikely to be read from the outside through the window tint. -
Yes i cant see why they would need a clear backing either, i thought using a very light window tint, lettering would be seen through it?
BC
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NO MOT tests for tractors here yet Neil. If there was half of the irish tractors would be scrapped! :lol1:
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Lol, whoops 😳
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quote Neil Davey:Lol, whoops 😳Farmer here got done when turning off a main road on his tractor and not using or having indicators…..
‘What would I need indicators for, your honour, sure everybody knows I live up that lane!’ 😀 -
Even with the lightest tint film you can get I doubt you would be able to see anything very clearly if at all, the film will also affect the colour of any vinyl applied to it. Don’t forget that if your in front of the vehicle you will be viewing it not only through the tint film but also the windscreen. Some screens alreay have a slight factory tint to them but even if they don’t it will still make things more difficult to see.
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What about applying the lettering first to the window and then the window tint over it Martin?
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Brian, tint film is not that conformable so I would guess you would have problems around he edges of any lettering or graphic that was applied. Is there a reason why it has to go on the inside of the windscreen?? You would be far better fitting the lettering/graphic to the outside of the windscreen and then the window tint on the inside. Much more visible done that way.
Do these vehicles have a rear view mirror bonded to the windscreen because they can cause a problem when trying to fit a strip of tint film to a windscreen on a car. -
The actual law about sunstrips interfering with the screen is a grey area which even MOT testing stations have differing views on.
Some say none at all, some say 10mm some say 4".
Block vinyl is almost definitely a fail as it can not be seen through and is usually on the outside.
Tint is more often passed as it can be viewed through and does not class at stopping viewing, although I have heard of some stations failing cars.
Then again some cars come from the factory with tinted glass coming well into the wiper blade area.
I myself have always worked on the 4" rule from the top of the screen.As for writing. It is fine to put vinyl underneath tint. Most tint actually conforms to the edge of the vinyl better than vinyl and can be heat shrunk a bit for a tighter fit.Many tinters use a mixture of vinyl and tint for some designs.
Vinyl has a better range of colours. However for an all tint design I use Silver mirror tint under the sunstrip.The main reason for not putting writing under the tint is that it is more awkward to change at a later date, and needs the whole strip removed.
So tint on the inside and vinyl text on the outside is a good compromise which with the right MOT testing station has the best chance of being passed.
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This makes sense to me Stuart, so for the Toyota sunvisor did you put on the white lettering on the inside of the window and then the tint over it? What tint is that called?
thanks
Brian.
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Stuart
its normally to do with nothing impacting on the swept are of the screen, link below may shed some lightKev
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Stuart you obviously do this sort of thing I don’t get involved with it so my thinking that the tint would not cover the vinyl very well was obviously wrong 😳
Brian, it may well be a silver tint film and not vinyl on the picture. Like Stuart has said if you are going to use vinyl you are best to fit it to the outside of the screen and then apply a strip of tint film on the inside.
Have a look through the supplier list for companies that sell tint film, I used to use Johnstones for all my tint film as they have a good range but there are quite a few suppliers even some of the vinyl suppliers sell it as well. I know APA do a range of window tint films but never used them.Kevin from past experience I would have to agree with what Stuart says about MOT test centres, seems some will pass stuff that others fail and although the link you have posted gives some info I am sure there is a reference to it somewhere else. I always use to work on the 4" or 100mm maximum depth at the centre of the screen but can’t remember where that info came from.
Brian, I would suggest you get some tint film and have a practise with it before you do any paid work as it is not the same as applying vinyl. Window tinting is a different skill and just because you can fit vinyl it doesn’t mean you will be able to fit window tint.
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The Link Kevin gives gives MOT guides but different stations take it different ways.
Sunvisors
Sunvisors fitted to the driver’s side, which cannot be stowed in the ‘off screen’ position and which drop down obstructing the view through the swept area of the windscreen are a reason for rejection. A similar defect on the passenger side sunvisor is not a reason for rejection.
Opaque Vinyl Sunstrips would probably fall foul of this.However it says this about Tint Film.
Additional mirrors and tinting films are not subject to Reason for Rejection 4.The Toyota Sunstrip is Silver mirror Tint backed up by Charcoal tint.
As Martin Says it is more awkward than vinyl.
Mainly because it is applied wet and the adhesive face of the tint attracts dust very easily so care is needed to position the parts without covering in dust.
The silver has to postioned on the sticky side of the charcoal and immediately covered again with backing liner so no dust gets on it then the both films applied together. It is possible to apply the silver first and then the backing on some designs but because you always use solution to apply, the small bits can easily move about if you try and remove application paper too early. -
Thanks for all that Stuart, you have been a great help, had been puzzled with all this up to now.
Regards
Brian.
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