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Vinyl Wraps – Factors to Consider Before Wrapping Your Car

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Vinyl wraps have become significantly more popular over the last few years. What started as a simple alternative to paint, has grown into a massive multibillion dollar industry. Many people nowadays think Vinyl Wrap when it comes to exterior customization options for their vehicles. However, everything has its pros and cons. So in this blog post we outlined some major benefits and things to consider prior to getting your car wrapped, all in hopes of helping you make an informative decision.

What is Vinyl Wrap

Vinyl Wrap is an alternative to car paint. It is a thin flexible film that comes from the factory with specially formulated adhesive on the back that safely adheres to the surface of the car. The film is very flexible, and with certain manipulations it takes shape of whatever it is applied to. It comes in a variety of colours and finishes, which allows you to fully customize the exterior of your vehicle. The film is fully removable, and leaves no damage on the vehicle if installation was performed correctly, the material was removed within the warranty period, and high quality materials were used.

Vinyl Wraps Cost

While many still believe Vinyl Wraps to be cheap, with higher quality materials, more skilled and qualified installers, and an increased demand prices vary greatly. Yet, in general Vinyl Wraps still cost less than a paint job. For example, it would cost you around 3000$-3500$ to get a high quality Matte Wrap on a mid sized sedan. Whereas high quality Matte Paint job would cost you anywhere from 5000$ and up. Prices of wrap jobs will also vary based on the size of your vehicle and the type of material you are going for. However in general Vinyl Wraps will still cost you less than an equivalent paint job.

Extensive Variety of Options

Vinyl Wrap Films come in a great variety of options. There are multiple colours, finishes and textures for you to choose from. From simple gloss wraps, to sophisticated mattes, to head turning chromes. Vinyl Film manufacturers release new colours on a half a year basis, which means your options are only growing. Do you want something more unique? Go for embossing, which will add a touch of character to your wrap. There are also options of brushed or carbon fibre wraps, which make for perfect accent pieces. The sky is the limit. If you are struggling to make the right choice, check out our blog post on What Wrap To Choose to best express your personality and style.

Longevity

High quality Vinyl Wraps that are properly cared for will last you for up to 5 years.

No Commitment

One of the greatest features of Vinyl Wraps is its low commitment. If you are bored of the colour of your car, but don’t want to go to an extend of repainting it, vinyl wraps are perfect for you. Since the film can be taken off the car anytime, there is absolutely no commitment to keep it for longer than desired. The removal process is performed by certified installers, and usually takes a few hours, if the correct film was used.

Safe for Paint

If you are using a high quality Vinyl Wrap from trusted manufacturers like 3M or Avery, Vinyl Wrap is completely safe for your paint. Considering that your paint is in good condition, Vinyl will not peel off or damage the paint. Many Vinyl Wraps manufacturers provide an extensive warranty for their films. Additional warranty is provided by a wrap shop performing the job. At Aegis Paint Shield we offer our clients a lifetime installation warranty, meaning we will fix al installation related issues for as long as you keep the car.

Quick Instal

Vinyl wraps are quicker to instal, when compared to paint. We’ve had Vinyl Wrap projects that were completed in 2 days, and the car was ready to be returned to the client. As opposed to paint, wrapped cars don’t need to be kept at the shop for an extensive period of time, since vinyl does not have a long curing period. So if you are willing to get your car wrapped over the weekend, you can have it ready by Monday morning for your commute to work. You’ll get lots of attention from your coworkers on the parking lot!

Resale Value

Vinyl Wraps also help to preserve resale value of your car, as opposed to paint. The film helps protect the paint from minor exterior damage and environmental conditions affecting the paint. It is by no means an equivalent to Paint Protection Film, however it still serves as a thin barrier between your paint and harmful conditions of daily driving.

Vinyl Wrap Repairability

If we were to compare the ease and cost of repairability, vinyl wraps are relatively easy and cheap to repair. If the panel is scratched, all it takes is for the damaged vinyl to be removed, and new one installed. It can be easily done in a day, and you can have your car back looking brand new.

Things To Consider

As great as Vinyl Wraps are, they are not perfect. There is a few factors you should consider prior to wrapping your car

Paint Condition

In order to get the best quality Vinyl Wrap it is important to make sure your paint is in good condition. Due to its nature Vinyl Wraps do not hide paint defects, but sometimes accentuate them. So if your paint is peeling off, or some major surface damage is present, Vinyl Wrap is not recommended until the paint is fixed. If applied to damaged paint, Vinyl Wrap might peel it off when removed.

Material Quality

It is very important to only use high quality Vinyl Films. We work with trusted and industry recognized Vinyl Film manufacturers like 3M and Avery. Low quality cheap films are harder to manipulate, which results in poor installation quality, bubbles and wrinkles. In addition, cheap films typically use poorly formulated adhesive, which damages the paint and makes a removal process a nightmare.

Installer Skills

Picking the right shop and the right installer for your project is also highly important. Many inexperienced installers leave visible seams on parts of your vehicle, which clearly makes it look DIY’ish. In addition, poorly wrapped corners and untucked edges lead to vinyl lifting and wrinkles. At Aegis Paint Shield we perform a seamless installation, making sure each panel is wrapped in one piece, unless it is absolutely impossible. In those rare cases, we hide the seam to make it almost invisible.

Visible Gaps

Because Vinyl Wrap is only applied to the exterior of your vehicle, on some occasions the original colour will show in panel gaps. This is especially true if your vehicle is white. Although installers do their best to hide as much of the original colour as possible, sometimes there is just no way to stick vinyl to the area between panels. In this case you might notice the original colour still showing through. It is not always the case, but it is a factor you should keep in mind when going with Vinyl Wraps.

Care Routine

If you are wrapping your car, your car care routine will have to change. We do not recommend using automatic car washes, since brushes can scratch the vinyl. Avoid using any brushes on your wrapped vehicle. The best way to care for your wrap is to hand wash it with a microfibre and some soap. For more care instructions check out our blog post on How To Care For Your Wrap .

Environmental Conditions

Vinyl Wrap is vulnerable to environmental conditions. In order to prolong the life of your wrap we recommend you protect your car from an extensive sun exposure. If you live in a hot and sunny climate, try to avoid parking your car in the sun for a long period of time. Sun will make the adhesive bond to the surface of the car, which will cause issues during removal process. Extensive exposure to UV light might also accelerate colour fading process. In this case we recommend that you protect your car with Ceramic Pro Coating, a coating solution which protects your wrap from negative effects of UV light. In addition, Ceramic Pro eases maintenance of your vehicle, and keeps it clean for longer by preventing dirt and dust from sticking to your wrap.

Another way to protect your wrap from damage and negative effects of the environment is Paint Protection Film. It is applied directly on Vinyl to protect it from scratches, rock chips and minor dents.

We hope you find this information useful, and that we helped you to understand all of the necessary factors to consider prior to getting your car wrapped. If you have any further questions, reach out to us!

April 28, 2020/by thewrapmaster

Vinyl for Wrapping Cars: What to Choose?

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Vinyl For Wrapping Cars

When it comes to vinyl for wrapping cars, there are multiple options for you to choose from. There is a great number of manufacturers, colours, textures and finishes that can truly transform the look of your vehicle. It can be hard to navigate through them and find the perfect one for you. In this blog post we talk about different types of vinyl wraps that exist on the market, their benefits and disadvantages, all in hopes to help you find the wrap that’s perfect for your needs.

Vinyl Wrap Finishes

When it comes to finishes, there is a wide selection for you to choose from. The most popular finishes of Vinyl Wraps are Gloss, Gloss Metallic, Matte, Matte Metallic, and Satin.

Gloss

Gloss wraps are by far the most popular type of vinyl for wrapping cars. It is a great choice for anyone who is looking for a paint like finish. They come in a wide range of colours, and look like paint once installed. Solid colours with no sparkles or flakes, they reflect a lot of light and make your car shine even on a gloomy day. Gloss wraps work perfectly for those who are looking for a uniform and coherent look. Luckily, vinyl wrap manufacturers constantly update and increase their library of Gloss Wraps, so that you can stand out even when going for the most popular finish. Gloss Wraps are relatively easy to maintain. You can wax or treat Gloss Wrap with CeramicPro to increase its durability and enhance the colour.

Gloss Metallic

Gloss Metallic wraps are a slightly modified version of Gloss Wraps. When you look at gloss metallic wrap closely, you can notice tiny little metallic flakes, which are added to vinyl during manufacturing process. The effect that flakes create is especially noticeable when you look at the car under direct sunlight. This finish adds more depth to the surface, and replicates the look of metallic paint.

Matte

Matte Wraps are exactly that, – matte. They absorb light, and typically don’t reflect much. Although gaining more popularity, matte wraps are still more rare than their glossy alternatives. Due to matte finish, colours of matte wraps tend to be less vivid and not as pronounced. Because the surface reflects little amount of light, matte wraps tend to accentuate body lines better, and draw more attention to curves. Something to keep in mind when going with matte wraps is that the maintenance is a little different. Matte wraps cannot be waxed or coated with CeramicPro or any other type of sealant, or else they will loose their matte appearance. Matte wraps also tend to show marks and fingerprints easier, so if you are picking a matte wrap, you should be ready to clean your car more frequently. On a positive note, we have noticed that matte wraps have a lower surface energy in comparison to gloss wraps, therefore, water and snow don’t stick to the surface as easily.

Matte Metallic

If you want a metallic look, but can’t stand the gloss finish, – matte metallic is your choice! While still relatively non reflective, matte metallic wraps feature tiny metallic particles, which add an extra depth to the colour of your wrap, making it appear more interesting and dimensional.

Satin

Satin wraps stand somewhere in between gloss and matte wraps. If you can’t decide between gloss or matte, definitely go with a satin finish. It is the best of both worlds. Satin wraps are not as shiny as gloss wraps, but they reflect more light than matte wraps. Satin wraps in a way resemble a look of a satin shirt, making your car look very sophisticated and classy. It is almost as if your car was wrapped in silk. Satin wraps reflect some light, but in a subtle manner, which accentuates its sleek look. The maintenance of satin wrap is also relatively easy, since there is a much lower chance of fingerprints staying on the surface. Similar to gloss wraps, satin wraps can be coated with ceramic solutions or waxed.

Vinyl Wrap Textures

For those looking for something even more unique, vinyl wrap manufacturers have developed a series of textured wraps, with Brushed Metal and Carbon Fibre vinyl being the most common ones.

Carbon Fibre

Carbon Fibre vinyl wraps resemble the look of carbon fibre material, so widely popular among car enthusiasts. There is now an option of grey, black and white carbon fibre. Although it is hard to imagine a whole car wrapped in this material, it is quite popular to wrap mirrors, spoilers or hoods in carbon fibre to create that look without breaking the bank. While installing, carbon fibre has to be handled carefully, as it is easy to disturb the pattern by overstitching the material, or not aligning it properly. There is nothing worse than a poorly installed carbon fibre wrap.

Brushed Metal

Another not so commonly used material, brushed metal wraps have a metallic appearance with added texture, that resembles scraped metal. Brushed metal wraps make for a cool accent pieces, and are available in a limited variety of colours. Unique three dimensional light reflection of brushed wraps creates an expensive look.

Specialty Films Series

Colour Flip Wraps

Recently, vinyl wrap manufacturers came up with a new type of vinyl wraps, – colour flip wraps. These wraps feature not one solid colour, but a combination of multiple colours, that change depending on the angle you look at the car. Colour flip wraps have to be handled very carefully, as they are directional. Depending on the material orientation, different hue will be more or less pronounced. An installer has to keep this nature of material in mind, and instal all pieces unidirectionally. If mishandled, a colour will not be flowing in one direction, and it might look like parts of the car are wrapped in different colours. It is a definite show stopper when installed properly!

Chrome Vinyl Wraps

Chrome vinyl wraps are the most expensive wraps on the market. They are completely reflective, and look like your car is wrapped in glass! Chrome wraps tend to be hard to install, can get scratched easily, and are harder to handle during the installation. If you are going with a chrome wrap, make sure you are dealing with a highly skilled installer who handled chrome wraps before. Chrome wraps also tend to show fingerprints, so you need to spend extra time to make sure your car looks clean. When installed, chrome wraps look absolutely beautiful! Paint Protection Film and CeramicPro are highly recommended to preserve its mirror like finish.

Diamond

Avery recently introduced a new line of finishes for those who are not afraid to stand out. Diamond wraps are gloss wraps with an extreme amount of sparkles! Diamond wraps reflect a lot of light, and sparkles shine in the sunlight making your car turn heads and stop traffic. You might want to wear sunglasses when looking at it on a summer day!

Regardless of what type of vinyl for wrapping cars you pick, we can help you bring your vision to reality! Contact us today, and lets create something beautiful together.

January 30, 2020/by thewrapmaster

What is Vinyl Wrap and How It Compares to Paint

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McLaren 720S vinyl wrapped in Venom styled wrap

What is Vinyl Wrap:

Vinyl wrap is an alternative to a traditional way of painting cars. Instead of spraying the colour onto the car we use vinyl film. Vinyl film is a thin and flexible material, which is made out of PVC, and is typically 3-4 mil thick. It comes from the factory with specially formulated adhesive on the back that safely adheres to the surface of the car. The material possesses self healing properties. Companies like 3M, Avery and Arlon are among the most famous Vinyl Wrap manufacturers.

Vinyl Wrap Features:

FINISHES:

Vinyl film comes in a variety of finishes, which allows you to be very creative when it comes to picking the right colour and finish for your car. Depending on personal preferences and the final look you are going for, you can choose gloss, matte, satin, pearlescent, metallic, chrome, carbon fibre, brushed or colour flip finish. You can also customize the look of your car by going for a fully printed design.

OPACITY:

Material is fully opaque, which means that there is no colour difference between different panels of the car. Even if the paint on parts of your car varies in colour, vinyl can fix that.

SELF-HEALING:

Vinyl comes with a built in layer of laminate, which allows it to self heal light scratches under the effect of heat.

Vinyl Wrap vs Paint:

While both, paint and vinyl serve the same purpose, they do so differently.

COLOUR MISMATCH:

Due to the nature of paint, sometimes you can see slight colour mismatch between plastic and metal panels on painted cars. Since vinyl film is fully opaque, this issue is fully eliminated.

TIME:

It only takes 2 to 4 days to fully change the colour of the exterior. Adhesive is fully cured within 48 hours after installation is complete. In contrast, painting a car takes a week of labour, with an additional month to fully cure the paint.

PRICE:

Cost is another interesting topic to consider when deciding between wrapping and painting. Cost of painting the car varies greatly depending on finish and colour complexity. This isn’t the case with vinyl wraps. Most colours and finishes are within 10% cost difference. That means that painting the car in basic colours will cost you about the same as wrapping your car with matte, colour flow or metallic vinyl.

ALTERATION:

With vinyl wraps you can create a new outfit for your car that will make it truly yours. You can change the outfit as often as you want. Removing of a vinyl wrap is a pretty straight forward process that is safe for OEM paint and doesn’t take long to complete. New vinyl colours are released annually so there is always a new outfit to look forward to!

MAINTANANCE:

Most noteworthy, maintenance of vinyl wrap is not complicated either. We always recommend hand washing your wrapped car, but practice shows that vinyl can withstand a pressure wash as long as installation was performed properly. Check out a set of recommendations we have put together to help you learn about how to properly take care of your wrap. Self healing of small scuffs means that you can forget about cut polishing. In case of a more significant damage to the film, you only need to rewrap damaged panels. Rewrapping damaged panels requires significantly less work than repainting it, which translates into a lower cost. Full opacity of film ensures a perfect colour match.

August 10, 2019/0 Comments/by thewrapmaster