A vehicle wrap is just a large sticker or sheet of vinyl applied onto the body of a vehicle. It
can be applied partially or fully, and is used to quickly change the appearance of any car,
truck, boat, motorcycle or other vehicle style. It can also be removed if needed, thus
returning the vehicle back to its original look.
If the entire vehicle is covered with a vinyl wrap, it’s called a full-wrap. If the area covered is
anywhere between one-to- three quarters of the vehicle, it’s called a partial wrap.
Additionally, one can also choose to cover a very small part of the vehicle, like say, the doors
or interior areas.
Vinyl wraps are usually used for advertising and marketing purposes. It’s essentially like a
mobile billboard, which is cost effective and an extremely effective form of gettingyour
business information in front of thousands of people . These thin sheets of film can be
wrapped around cars, buses, or even trains. The flatter the surface of the vehicle, the easier
it is to apply vinyl sheets.
The process of applying a vinyl cover starts with first finalizing the actual design of the cover
and taking measurements. Then begins the production phase, where the graphic is sent for
production and then laminated to protect it from any damage. Once that is done, the sheet
is applied onto the vehicle. Installing the sheet usually takes between a day or two, and up
to 3 full days. It takes roughly 1-1.5 days for 2 experienced people to apply the sheet onto
the vehicle, depending on the size and complexity of the vehicle (vehicles with flatter
surfaces are easier to work with).
Though the process of vinyl wrapping is simple, there are some precautions to be taken. The
vehicle should be cleaned thoroughly before applying the vinyl wrap. This is because any
dust, mud, or oil can prevent the wrap from properly adhering to the vehicle. That is also
the case with rust. Since vinyl wraps are meant to adhere to the paint on a vehicle, wrapping
a vehicle which has rust on it is not recommended.
After the wrap is applied, one should not use any high pressure car washes to wash the
vehicle. The water can easily seep in through the wrap and create issues and possible lifting.
Washing by hand is recommended.
Two questions that often come up with vehicle wrapping are – can a wrap cause damage to
the vehicle’s paint and can you remove a wrap. First off, the vinyl wrap will not damage the
vehicle’s paint. In fact, it actually act as a protective cover on the paint.
Secondly, vehicle wraps are actually quite easy to remove, provided they were applied
correctly in the first place. If the installation and the removal is done by an experienced
professional, then the removal should be seamless.
To sum it up, as long as vinyl wraps are of a good quality and are applied and removed by
professionals, there won’t be any problems. Vinyl films have evolved as there demand has
increased. Always seek a professional shop to work with, for the longevity and overall
quality of the wrap.