First paint protection film was created when the US military was in need of a durable and easy to install film that can protect the leading edges of air plane wings, nose and helicopter rotor blades from dust damage in desert environments.

The best clear bra paint protection films used for automotive applications are generally 8 mils thick and are composed of three layers:

1. Top layer consists of a high gloss clear coat finish to protect from dust and dirt built up in the pores of urethane film.
2. The middle layer consists of thermoplastic urethane which helps to protect the surface from rock chips and road debris.
3. The bottom layer is consists of a clear high-tack acrylic adhesive specially formulated to have high tack on smooth surface.