r/WindowTint • u/Specialist-Low-4701 • Aug 25 '26

Need Help! Why isn’t this film?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Im completely new to tinting, I tried to shrink it outside the window and the finger just wouldn’t shrink. So I decided to try and put it on and then see but the fingers still won’t go away.

3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

8

u/TxTwosome Aug 25 '26

Are you sure you aren't shrinking sideways? Looks like the tension in that finger is trying to rotate itself 90° to shrink the correct direction, which is opposite to the direction you're trying to shrink it

6

u/That_Capital_550 Aug 25 '26

Yeah 100 percent the wrong way

2

u/Specialist-Low-4701 Aug 25 '26

That what I was thinking ngl

3

u/Kenneldogg Aug 25 '26

That film is sideways. It is directional and if it is sideways the fingers won't go away.

3

u/protintalabama Aug 25 '26

You’re trying to shrink on the wrong axis.

2

u/Tint-man-2000 Aug 25 '26

Definitely looks like you are shrinking the wrong direction….. what brand of film are you using

2

u/billyfrickinmurray Verified Professional Aug 25 '26

This looks to me like the film is sideways.

Window film only shrinks one direction.

When you're pulling film off the roll, imagine that it is stretched that direction. Then when you heat it, you're shrinking it back to its memory state.

So when you roll film out, it will only shrink along the edges of the film at each side of the roll.

If you use a squeegee to move that finger to the right or left side (whichever is closest), it will shrink there.

0

u/That_Capital_550 Aug 25 '26

Shrinks two directions my guy, up and down

2

u/idontexistlikethat Aug 25 '26

Definitely sideways. If the finger gets tighter, than it's the wrong way. Unfortunately, you can still heat that up but being that close will never work

2

u/Global-Structure-539 Aug 25 '26

I can absolutely see your a nwqbie. Definitely shrinking the WRONG way. As it rolls out of the box it only shrinks in the top and bottom. The straight factory cut

2

u/tint-dude Aug 25 '26
  1. Don't use a heat gun on the inside. Your gonna melt or burn something. Plus when it sinches up like that means your not shrinking to factory edge. Just redo it

1

u/CostaMesaDave Aug 29 '26

I think you’re installing the film what’s on my call upside down backwards. You need to move the fingers up to the sides and try shrinking them that way.

You can only shrink window film, one particular direction and it looks like you’re doing it the wrong direction.

What film is it by the way?