ImporTint Sauce and Fresh Tint Sauce solve different problems, even though installers often compare them head-to-head. ImporTint Sauce is a targeted tack solution used on edges, seals, and dot matrix alongside your regular slip solution. Fresh Tint Sauce is marketed as a broader installation gel. Knowing which category you actually need matters more than picking a winner.
What ImporTint Sauce Does
ImporTint Sauce is a sprayable, slightly tacky, water-based formula built to lock window film edges tight on the first squeegee pass while sealing out dirt, dust, and debris. It’s not meant to replace your slip solution — it’s used strictly on problem areas: edges, seals, felts, and dot matrix, after the film is already positioned with your slip solution.
What Fresh Tint Sauce Does
Fresh Tint Sauce, made by Pure Tint, is positioned as a general window film installation gel rather than an edge-specific tack solution. It’s marketed for smoother, bubble-free application and aiding adhesion in areas prone to debris, suggesting broader use across the film rather than a narrow edge-sealing role.
Price Comparison
| Product | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ImporTint Sauce | 24 oz | $30.00 |
| ImporTint Sauce | 1 gallon | $120.00 |
| Fresh Tint Sauce | 1 gallon | $34.99-$39.99 |
By the gallon, Fresh Tint Sauce is significantly cheaper than ImporTint Sauce. That gap makes more sense once you account for how each product is actually used: ImporTint Sauce is sprayed sparingly on small problem areas, not across the whole film, so a bottle lasts a very different number of installs than a general-purpose gel applied more broadly. Cost per install, rather than cost per gallon, is the more useful comparison — but we don’t have verified per-install figures for either product, so take the sticker price difference at face value and judge based on your own usage volume.
Pros and Cons
ImporTint Sauce
- Pro: Purpose-built for edges, seals, and dot matrix — precise, targeted use
- Pro: Locks film on the first squeegee pass, reducing recontamination
- Con: Higher cost by volume; not designed as a full-surface installation gel
Fresh Tint Sauce
- Pro: Lower cost per gallon
- Pro: Marketed for broader, general installation use
- Con: Less evidence of edge-specific, dot-matrix-targeted performance compared to a dedicated tack solution
Which Should You Use?
If your install is failing specifically at edges, seals, or dot matrix — lifting, recontamination, or edges that won’t lock down — ImporTint Sauce is built for that exact problem and is used alongside whatever slip solution you already run. If you’re looking for a single general-purpose installation gel for the whole film rather than a targeted fix, Fresh Tint Sauce’s lower price point and broader positioning may fit better. Many installers carry both: a slip solution for positioning, plus a tack solution like ImporTint Sauce for the specific spots that always cause trouble.
Related reading: PPF Installation Gel vs Slip Solution