Window tint · 3 min read
TSER vs. IR Rejection: How to Read Window Tint Specs
By Executive Tint · Updated
IR rejection and TSER measure different things. Many IR figures cover only a narrow slice of infrared, while TSER (total solar energy rejected) reflects the whole solar load. Ask for both, measured the same way, before comparing films.
Spec decoder 1
What each number actually measures
Bars show the slice of the solar spectrum each figure covers (wavelength in nanometers).
- IRRInfrared Rejection900–1,000 nm
A narrow 100 nm slice of infrared. Easy to score very high on.
- IRERInfrared Energy Rejected780–2,500 nm
Most of the infrared range, including heat the film absorbs and re-radiates inside.
- TSERTotal Solar Energy Rejected300–2,500 nm
The whole solar picture: UV, visible light and infrared together.
Takeaway: a very high IRR can sit next to a modest TSER. Ask for both.
Spec decoder 2
Three questions before you trust a heat claim
- 1Which measurement is it?
IRR, IRER and TSER answer different questions. A big number means little until you know which one it is.
- 2Same test method?
Only compare films whose figures come from the same method and the same glass setup.
- 3Is there a TSER figure?
TSER is the best single number for the overall solar load reaching your cabin.
Why tint specs are confusing
Two shops can quote very different-sounding heat numbers for similar films. Usually nobody is lying—they are quoting different measurements. This guide is a decoder: what each number means, which one tells you the most, and how to compare fairly. Whether ceramic is worth it for your car is a separate question, covered in our ceramic tint buyer's guide.
The narrow-band IR number
IRR (infrared rejection) is often measured over a small band. 3M's automotive comparison guide, for example, defines IRR over 900–1,000 nanometers—about a 100 nm slice of an infrared range that runs to roughly 2,500 nm. A film can perform very well in that slice, so this figure tends to look impressive on a sticker.
It is still useful: comparing IRR between films tested the same way tells you something real. It just isn't the whole heat story.
The wider infrared number
IRER (infrared energy rejected) covers far more of the range—780–2,500 nm in the same 3M guide—and also accounts for infrared the film absorbs and re-radiates into the cabin. When a spec sheet offers IRER, it gives a fuller view of infrared performance than narrow-band IRR.
TSER: the overall picture
TSER (total solar energy rejected) counts UV, visible light and infrared together, including energy that is absorbed and later re-radiated. It is the best single figure for the total solar load a film keeps out. Because visible light is part of it, darker shades of the same film usually post higher TSER—which is why TSER should be read next to VLT, the shade number Texas law regulates.
How to compare films fairly
- Match the metric: compare IRR to IRR and TSER to TSER, never one against the other.
- Match the method: figures should come from the manufacturer's published data using the same test basis and glass setup.
- Match the shade: compare films at the VLT you would actually install.
- Get the film line in writing: brand, exact product name and warranty—not just "nano-ceramic."
Numbers, then your own hands
Spec sheets are a starting point. At any Executive Tint shop you can feel the ceramic yourself at our heat-lamp station and compare 3M Ceramic IR, 3M Crystalline and BlackMax samples side by side. The lamp demonstrates radiant heat under the lamp; real-world comfort also depends on your glass, coverage and weather.
See every film in our film comparison, check shade rules in the Texas tint guide, then book an appointment or request a vehicle-specific quote.
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