Applying Vinyl Wrap to your car

The Vehicle Wrap industry has undergone a lot of change over the last 20 years. In this time, we’ve gone from using paint and standard signage vinyl to wrap vehicles down to just using a printer for all the designs!

Today, more and more wraps are being installed on personal and commercial vehicles. But there is a skill to this. And even though many people do it as their profession, some crummy jobs will always be done, too.

be prepared to challenge your customer

Any small detail important to you is also likely important to your customer. That’s why marketing teams need to develop that extra layer of final polish before advertising wraps are sent out. Sometimes this will refer back to the early stages of the design process – like colours and finishes – while other times, it can be something seemingly small, such as

Your experience and expertise are essential aspects of your business. Remember: customers may be paying for your service but don’t forget that you’re still the expert here. Offer a complete service and demonstrate your professionalism through the way you communicate with clients and at all points of contact.

Use the right product.

Don’t make the mistake of trying to save a few bucks by buying cheap materials that are barely usable. Yes, these things might seem like a good idea in the short term. However, you will be wasting your time and risking damaging your reputation for your business in the long-term future.

Buying the wrong material will hurt your application quality. If you apply, for example, a material from Arlon, 3M or Avery and other quality brands, you’re less likely to get failures because these firms produce high-quality products.

Semi-permanent make-up applications require different materials depending on the client, and as a result, you should always ask questions to learn more about the person. For example, think about how long they need the product, where they are explicitly applying it (and what skin conditions may occur), and whether or not they have sensitive skin. You can then select materials accordingly.

 Preparation

It’s so true- people are often overconfident and don’t take the time to prepare, which leads to failure.

This is one of the most common problems. If oils, dirt, and debris are left on your vehicle before applying the film, it won’t stick! It’s a guaranteed mess. In addition, moisture from the dirt can cause paint to ‘tent’ or hover over it, creating an uneven or “bubble” effect. You don’t want this look for your home improvement project, nor does your customer.

Cutting Corners

Sometimes removing parts of a vehicle is necessary to get the desired look. If a job takes more than an hour, it’s often worth having someone else do it for you. The time saved may not be worth the increased likelihood of a failure because when it does happen, you have to redo things which can take a lot of time.

Detail the edges and corners to give it an excellent finish. Do your best – don’t underestimate or skip this step. Detailing could be the difference between an average job and a perfect job.

Don’t overstretch

When the material is overstretched, the adhesive becomes thinner, and the vinyl becomes less sticky. This will ultimately lead to FAILURE.

Even if you don’t ‘fail’ and overstretch your wrap, the stretch will show in the appearance of your wrap. It’ll look thinner, and its pattern may become less noticeable or even discontinue altogether. Shiny spots may show through as a result too, which is something to avoid when using patterned materials because that design won’t be visible anymore.

So how can you make sure you don’t overstretch? I hear you say. First of all, ensure the wrappers are up to the job. Second, ensure the person doing it is trained for it – or you’ve been adequately trained!

When wrapping a car, it’s essential to measure the vehicle to get the right amount of material. If it’s too short, it won’t be able to cover everything, and if you have too much material, the edges will be loose.

Environment

Once you’ve finished prepping your substrates, picked the right product, and are confident in your application skills, you need to find a suitable facility. It’s too easy to skimp on this detail and regret it later.

The job needs to be adequately planned? For example, will it take place indoors or outside, and will the building you’re working in be suitable?

If possible, avoid applying your car wax in the open air. With all the dust particles floating around outside, there’s a high chance they’ll get stuck on your vehicle as you take care of it. This will make it look worse and can even lead to failures in the long run.

You need the right conditions to be inside, but we can still do those work!

The indoor facility must be super clean with dust control, and the room must be at the right temperature. Too hot, however, will cause overstretching and failure over time. Installing a low temperature will cause the vinyl to shrink and eventually fail when exposed to high temperatures. You can avoid this by getting your own wrapping facility. Then, put it somewhere cool and dry. 

Post Application

You need to heat up the wrap with a gun/heat blanket to ensure it’s heated properly and will adhere to the item. Check this by using a thermometer before attaching the wrap to an object. Make sure it is heated all over, not just in spots, or there may be tiny air bubbles.

Why is that? Well, PVC is the main component of vehicle vinyl wraps. PVC lets the vinyl hold its shape, and with this comes many positives. The downside of this is that it can sometimes shrink and pull back on itself (hence the concern).

Wrapping isn’t the most glamorous, exciting part of your business. But it is essential to do it right – to make sure you put in the time and effort. Also, ensure you’re getting professional advice when managing your wrapping.