Vehicle Wraps
Semi-Permanent Adhesive Graphics for Your Car, Truck, or Fleet.Whether it’s a partial wrap, a full wrap, or just a decal, vinyl graphics are the way it’s done.
Intro to Vehicle Wraps
Vinyl wraps (also known as vehicle wraps, auto wraps, bus wraps, boat wraps, wall wraps, window wraps, etc.) are an exciting indoor/outdoor advertising and personalization medium for businesses to use to advertise on their vehicles, or for enthusiasts to a cheaper and more exciting options that traditional painting does not offer.
The simplest vinyl wraps use only solid-colored pressure-sensitive vinyl to literally change the color or appearance of a painted surface such as turning a gloss-black vehicle into a matte black appearance. The other common type is digitally printed vinyl in full color, for things like logos etc.
Almost all race cars, from dirt track truck racing to drag racing and NASCAR events, use wraps and vinyl decals to display their sponsors or to promote special events since they are easy to change.
Some vehicle wraps are even simpler and just use a solid-color pressure-sensitive vinyl to literally change the color or appearance of that vehicle.
A wrap is the most innovative thing to hit the advertising world! Think of a wrap as a full-color mobile billboard. However, a wrap doesn’t have to be only on a car, van or truck; wraps can also be on walls, floors, or just about any surface.
What is a Wrap Made Of?
A wrap is like a big sticker, really. Only, instead of a cheap paper, these are high quality adhesive vinyl materials printed with graphics by sophisticated printers for high definition graphics that last a long time in the harsh environments of being on the road in weather and sun for years.
Vinyl wraps are not permanent and can be removed or changed out quickly. Depending on the original application, if treated well, a single vinyl wrap application can and should last for years. Each material’s manufacturer offers their own warranty with varying lengths, but a common range for a wrap warranty is anywhere from 3 to 10 years.
To wrap a vehicle is a process whereby any conceivable design or photograph is printed onto special pressure-sensitive vinyl and applied by hand with heat onto a vehicle’s painted surface. They are created by applying ink-jet printed or solid-color pressure-sensitive adhesive vinyl onto nearly any vehicle, boat or plane, piece of furniture, object, interior surface, or building exterior.
For more durable long-term wrap applications and to protect the printed surface, a thin crystal-clear vinyl overlaminate is sometimes laid over the wrap material as well.
3M is the largest manufacturer of vehicle wrap vinyl today, and other companies like Avery also offer similar materials.
The Vehicle Wrap Process:
The vehicle wrap process involves a 3 mainsteps:
1. Design
Design your vehicle wrap mockup here on our website, then hand it off to the professionals to create a print-ready version of your design.
The Fun Part! Design with Our Easy Online Design Tools
The first step is the design process, you create the design on the vehicle of your choice, e.g. sedan, van, subcompact, etc. with our unique four step process. You then make a choice of one or more wrap shop in your area to send the design to for a quotation. Choose from the several quotes that you will receive and the wrap provider of your choice will re-create your design during which you will consult with them for the final look for your exact vehicle. The wrap provider will then work up a proof for you to approve.
2. Print
A print shop will print the vinyl graphic itself on a specialized printer for vehicle wrap vinyl materials. The price is depending on the print size / vehicle size.
Production of the Vinyl Graphics
Once the design is finalized, the production phase of your wrap will begin. Your design will be printed on large sections of a special kind of vinyl meant for use on vehicles, and then laminated to provide weather-resistance and the desired finish – usually either gloss or matte. For more information about the vinyl used to wrap car, trucks and boats and even race cars, visit our About Wrap Materials page
3. Install
Once the wrap is printed it can be installed on the vehicle by certified installers. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on the size of the vehicle.
Apply the Wrap to the Vehicle
Installation typically takes 1-2 days, depending on the size and difficulty of your particular vehicle, and will usually occur in the wrap provider’s own facility. The providers utilize a variety of industry tools, including a plastic squeegee for application, a razor knife to trim edges, and a torch to heat the vinyl for application on contoured surface parts of your vehicle.
Why do you need a wrap? Check out the benefits here