Vehicle wrapping has changed and brought thousands of cars to life. Throughout the years, starting from its first release, it has served as the key to transforming and beautifying cars around the world. However, out of all the thousands of car owners who love vehicle wrapping, only a few know how exactly it works.
If you’re one of the people who’s wondering how vehicle wrapping works, then this is for you! Read on and get to know the 7-step process of vehicle wrapping:
Step 1: Have a plan in mind
The very first requirement and process of vehicle wrapping are having a plan on what you want to happen. This encompasses the color scheme, theme, and type of vinyl you would like to use in your car transformation project. It can be anything that mirrors your brand or something that reflects your personality as the car owner.
Working with designers to help organize your thoughts and imagination does a great job of reducing the margin of error present in the project. In addition, this builds the idealism of how the end product should look, making it a lot easier to apply in actuality.
Step 2: Prep time!
Once the layout has been made and finalized, it is now time to prepare the vehicle for wrapping. The preparation includes making sure that the working area is clean and free of items that can disrupt the wrapping process. Next up is the cleaning of the vehicle to be wrapped. Just like a paint job, it is highly important that the surface to be wrapped is cleaned thoroughly. This way, one gets to achieve a much smoother display.
If ever a vehicle contains chips, deep scratches, or any other damage, it must first undergo touch-up bodywork. This is advised since each imperfection present in the vehicle will be amplified by the vinyl wrap if left untreated. And no matter how careful and perfect the project is, the imperfections mentioned would still be very visible.
Step 3: Measure and Cut
It is now time to take the measurements or dimensions of the vehicle to be wrapped. This is one of the most vital and challenging steps when it comes to vehicle wraps. Here, professionals and start-ups are advised to add 4-6 inches to the measurement that was taken from the car. This is due to the reason that, you can always trim as you go when you have included the allowance. However, when you fall short on the wrapping material, you cannot add more.
In addition, the 4-6 inches allowance rule is set in place since, along the process of vehicle wrapping, the material would have to be neatly tucked in around the corners of the vehicle for more impact and professional visuals.
Step 4: Lay and apply the wrap
Once the earlier steps have been accomplished, we can now move on to the main star of the show. Usually, this is the most awaited step when it comes to vehicle wrapping. In here, the orientation of the peel must be double-checked since the backing of the vinyl wrap is going to be pulled off. Aside from requiring careful movement, it also needs the help of the other members of the team.
Just like in shirt printing, it would need the cooperation of the project team to ensure that the quality is met. When it comes to vehicle wrapping, the vinyl can get a little unwieldy thus heeding the need to have people work on the application process together.
In applying the vinyl, starting in the middle is a must. Since the formation of air bubbles must be avoided, it’s best to keep the edges lifted and the corners of the surface as you work your way to the outside edges.
Step 5: Cut and trim the vinyl wrap
Vehicle wrapping does not simply end through the application of wrapping material. You are still required to continue the trimming process once the material sticks to the car’s surface. This allows you to remove any excess material and in the process, you are advised to be very careful since your car’s paint is just lurking beneath. Cutting the vehicle in the process will force you to remove the wrap and fix the damage.
It is best advised to trim the vinyl so there’s only about ¼ of a centimeter of excess around the entire panel which shall be used in the following step.
Step 6: Tuck, tuck, and tuck!
The 6th step is all about tucking all the excess wrap in place. This step draws the line between a professional-looking wrap and an amateur job. Applying too much tension on the vinyl could tear as you wrap it along the curve edge of the panel. As a remedy, you may use a heat gun to release the tension, but you should be sure to not apply too much heat to the material. You just need the right amount to soften it up a bit and smoothen out any wrinkles.
Step 7: Heat the wrap and let it set
After the vehicle panel has been wrapped and tucked, we can now move on to the 7th and final step. Here, it is all about applying heat and setting the wrap in its place for good. You may encounter some signs that show weaknesses in the material. If the vinyl is coming off of the surface, you would have to reapply it. Relying on it to fix itself over time won’t do the trick.
Once the wrap has been assessed as strong and properly set in place, you can now enjoy your newly wrapped vehicle.
