Vehicle Wrapping: What It Is and Why It’s an Alternative to Painting

Vehicle vinyl wrapping—a technique also known as car wrapping—is a great alternative to painting, especially for giving your car that personalized touch you’re looking for. Vehicle wrapping is not only easy to apply, but if you’re able to maximize its potential by following the manufacturer’s recommendations, the final result—including its quality and the vinyl’s durability—can be comparable to that of paint. In fact, it’s important to pay close attention to these instructions to ensure proper vehicle protection. Veamos en qué consiste el vinilado de vehículos y cómo puedes aprovecharte de esta fantástica técnica para darle un tono ocurrente a tu vehículo.

Qué es el vinilado de vehículos y sus aplicaciones más comunes

Vehicle wrapping is simply a technique in which vinyl is applied to the surface of a vehicle. The vehicle can be covered either completely or partially. This technique is applied by hand, one section at a time, to each part of the vehicle that we want to wrap.Today, car wrapping—or vehicle vinyl wrapping—is used, for example, to add advertising to vehicles or to customize them by incorporating effects that alter the paint finish, such as matte, gloss, or any background imaginable.

How long does vehicle wrapping last?

The lifespan of vehicle wraps varies and depends on the type of materials used in the car wrapping process, how well they are maintained, and whether they are suitable for the application. Under these conditions, their durability can be comparable to that of paint.As we mentioned, there are different types of vinyl with varying lifespans. Depending on their lifespan, some can last up to eight years without losing any of their properties, and even longer if we can prevent, for example, sunlight from hitting the vinyl.Using high-quality vinyl that has been specifically designed for this purpose and, of course, cleaning it properly with the products recommended by the manufacturer for that purpose. Doing this on a regular basis is essential if we want to extend the life of our vinyl.

If the car is damaged, what risk does our vinyl face?

If the car on which we’ve applied our vinyl were to be hit, this material is similar to paint, so it would behave in the same way. However, it has one advantage over paint: vinyl can be repaired using heat. Alternatively, in severe cases, only the damaged section of vinyl can be replaced, making it easier to maintain the quality.

PLASTGrommet Tools for Vinyl

The tools we at PLASTGrommet recommend for performing the car wrapping technique—that is, applying vinyl to vehicles—are as follows:1. Spatulas Note: You must use vinyl wrapping spatulas of different hardnesses and types depending on the areas of the vehicle where you’ll be applying the wrap.2. Magnets These magnetic pieces act as an extra pair of hands for the installer applying the car wrap, allowing them to achieve excellent vehicle graphics.3. Heat gun This tool allows you to manipulate the vinyl, remove its memory, and position it precisely where you want it.4. Cutters In this case, the cutters must be very sharp, allowing you to make the cut without applying too much pressure so as not to damage the paint. Keep in mind that you may need to change the blade several times during the vehicle wrapping process.5. Gloves Gloves are necessary, provided we choose ones that don’t leave residue on the adhesive. In this case, we can opt for seamless, antistatic gloves, which will make handling the vinyl much easier.6. Surface Cleaner When performing the car wrapping technique, a surface cleaner is necessary to remove any remaining dirt from the vehicle before applying the vinyl.7. Anti-bubble pen This is another tool we need when wrapping vehicles to efficiently remove the bubbles that form as a result of applying the vinyl.

What types of vinyl are used in car wrapping?

There are different types of vinyl on the market. These include monomeric, polymeric, and cast vinyl; the latter is the best option for vinyl wrapping because it delivers the best results and offers high durability. Cast vinyl is a moldable type of vinyl that can adapt to the various surface contours of a vehicle and is repositionable, making it easy to apply.

On what surfaces can we apply vinyl decals?

Nowadays, it is possible to apply graphics to any type of surface. When it comes to modes of transportation, this includes not only cars but also jet skis, motorboats, airplanes, two-wheeled vehicles, and so on.

Common Mistakes in Vehicle Wrapping

When implementing any of the vehicle graphics techniques, it is important not only to take into account the recommendations already mentioned, but also to be aware of the most common mistakes that are often made in this type of work so that they can be avoided. One of the most common mistakes is, in fact, choosing Another common mistake is storing vinyl improperly; no matter how much effort we put into the vehicle wrapping process, if we don’t store the vinyl properly, that effort will have been for nothing.And finally, the lack of training in car wrapping or vehicle lettering is detrimental, to say the least.