Window film thickness: which layer the number measures, line by line

A window film thickness figure only means something once it names the layers it counts: the film with its release liner, the film without it, or the liner alone. FancyFix states all three for each film line — static cling solar control film, for example, measures 0.20 mm with the liner, 0.16 mm without it, and 0.04 mm for the PET liner alone.

Three figures, three different layers

Each of the three thickness figures describes a different object, and each answers a different buyer's question. The with-liner figure is the film as it leaves the factory on the roll, liner still attached. The without-liner figure is the film that stays on the glass after the installer peels the liner away. The liner figure is the PET release film that protects the adhesive or static cling face until installation and is then discarded. A quote that gives one number without saying which of the three it is leaves a buyer comparing two suppliers on two different layers.

FancyFix window film thickness, line by line

FancyFix publishes its stock thickness figures by film line, and the table below lists all three wherever the line has them.

The table shows one pattern that holds across the range: PET film carries the adhesive installations, and PVC carries the static cling ones. Two lines need a note before their figures are compared. Mirror film has a PET protective film on both faces — the front one keeps the mirror face from scratching, and the back one is the liner that is peeled off before the film clings to the glass. The embossed, 3D refraction and printed static cling lines are published with the liner on only, so for one of those designs, ask for the without-liner figure of the design you are ordering.

Nominal grade and finished caliper are two more numbers

A laboratory thickness reading can differ from the specification sheet without anything being wrong, because a nominal grade and a finished caliper measure different things. A nominal grade names the raw face film; a finished caliper names the film as it ships, embossing and adhesive included. On an embossed or 3D refraction film, the caliper also reads the height of the texture, so the finished figure can sit above the grade of the face film it was made from. FancyFix states the nominal grade and the finished caliper together on request, along with the standard the reading was taken to, so a laboratory can test against the matching figure instead of reporting a substitution that never happened.

"Thickened" frosted film: what to write on the purchase order instead

"Thickened" is not a specification, so a purchase order for thickened frosted window film should name the layer and the figure instead. FancyFix frosted privacy film runs across the with-liner range shown in the table, and a thicker grade can be produced to order. A thicker grade does not raise privacy by itself, because FancyFix raises opacity by construction, not by thickness — the reasoning is set out in does a thicker film block more light? If the goal is less visibility through the glass, specify the opacity build; if a thicker film is wanted for its own sake, specify the without-liner figure, because that is the layer left on the glass.

What to put on the spec sheet before a thickness test

• Which layer — with liner, without liner, or the liner alone.
• Nominal or finished — the nominal grade of the face film, or the finished caliper as shipped.
• The reading standard — the standard the supplier's reading was taken to, so your laboratory tests to the same one.
• Face film and installation — PET adhesive or PVC static cling, because the same figure describes a different film on each.

How FancyFix quotes thickness

The figures in this article are FancyFix's regular stock specification, and most stock falls within them; a buyer can also specify a film thicker or thinner than these figures, and it is produced to order. Stock samples ship in 3–5 days, so a laboratory can measure the actual film before the order is placed, and custom sizes and packaging go through a 7–15 day sample stage. For checking a whole spec sheet against a sample roll, see how to verify a window film factory before a bulk order; for the widths, lengths and cores each line runs in, see retail roll or project roll. The full range is on the window film category page, and the frosted grades are on privacy window film.

FAQ

How thick is frosted window film?

FancyFix frosted privacy window film measures 0.23–0.28 mm with its release liner and 0.20–0.24 mm without it, on a PET liner of 0.04–0.045 mm. The face film is PVC and installs by static cling. These are regular stock figures; a thicker or thinner grade can be produced to order.

Does a window film thickness figure include the liner?

A window film thickness figure includes the liner only if the specification says so, which is why FancyFix states the with-liner figure, the without-liner figure and the liner figure separately. On FancyFix adhesive solar control film, for example, the three figures are 0.10 mm, 0.07 mm and 0.025 mm.

Why does our laboratory's thickness reading differ from the specification sheet?

A laboratory reading usually differs from a specification sheet because one quotes the finished caliper and the other the nominal grade of the face film. The finished caliper includes embossing and adhesive; the nominal grade does not. Ask FancyFix for both figures and the standard the reading was taken to before the test, and compare like with like.