CAR WRAPPING
CAR WRAPPING
What Is Car Wrapping?
One of the best methods to advertise your brand to thousands of people and in a way that makes an impact in their minds is mobile billboards. You must have seen those eye-catching billboard-style advertisements on buses or the sleek designs on the latest model of some car and wondered about them.
It is basically a vinyl vehicle wrap that can be customized to be digitally printed on any vehicle. You can take help from professionals to design a stunning and catchy advertisement of your brand and get it digitally printed on vinyl. Now, this vinyl film would be applied to your car, bus, truck or practically any of your vehicles. Whether you choose to get a full wrap covering all surfaces of the vehicle (including windows) or partial wraps, our professionals make sure you have good visibility through the windows. This is not only a great way to reach out to the masses but also is a sustainable means of advertising as these vehicle wraps last up to 3 to 5 years typically.
History
Vehicle wrapping was first done in the 1900s, by Milton Hershey whose idea was to advertise his brand using an automobile as a mobile billboard by painting on a vehicle. Those days locomotives and coaches of rails were painted with logos of the company manufacturing them. This was followed by Kolb’s Red Label Brand who painted more sophisticated designs comprising faces and imagery. Plastics were also put to use for commercial purposes but such attempts failed till PVC came into the market.
Unwittingly developed by Goodrich Corporation in the 1920s, vinyl chloride brought in a boom of production in factories and the creation of jobs as well as new products in America. Being superior to plastics in terms of durability and more flexible than paints, it was most preferred for mobile advertising and still is the material of choice. Until the 1980s, it was too expensive to be afforded by anyone except huge organizations like the U.S. Air Force. As the cost of production of vinyl decreased, it became more affordable for small businesses who could now use them to wrap vehicles. This led to their mass production with the increase in the demand for vinyl, cutting down its cost.
German taxis brought vehicle wrapping to the mainstream in the 1990s when they found vinyl wrapping to be more cost-effective than painting as well as providing protection to the original paint of the vehicle. They also could easily remove it off while re-selling the cars. This brought in a trend of mobile billboards that kept evolving and using digital printing to make it even faster, cheaper and better.
What to Expect
A vehicle wrap is a newer modality in customizing cars where sheets of vinyl, digitally printed with the content of your choice, are applied on the surface of the vehicle. Previously they were used just to advertise a brand’s logo or a company’s services, but car wrapping is now a whole new market as they have replaced paints completely and even plasti-dip and liquid-wraps. Car wrapping today is used for several different purposes.
Types of Car Wraps to Choose From
Full Car Wraps
Full car wraps cover the entire surface of your vehicle. So why settle for anything less if you can customize your vehicle without damaging the original paintwork. Just choose the colour, design, graphics, texture or pattern and leave it to our professionals to give your car a complete makeover and prepare to awe people.
Commercial Graphics
You can now transform your vehicle into a mobile billboard to advertise your brand. This will not only grab the attention of consumers but also make it memorable increasing its market awareness and promoting your business. You can always change the wrap if you decide to rebrand or redesign the logo!! Commercial wraps have a higher impact on consumers and are cost-efficient.
Motorcycle Wraps
Are you one of those bikers who expresses themselves through their bikes? Now you can completely customize your motorcycle with a full-body wrap that will make all heads turn on the road. The best thing about our wraps is that they are designed to match the model and make your bike perfect to make sure it fits flawlessly without damaging the underlying original paint. With our unique designs, we like to ensure that you stand out wherever you go.
Why Get Your Car Wrapped
Own Your Style
Looking to customize your car in a specific colour without changing the original make? That’s easy now with car wrapping, as you can choose any colour for your car and get it wrapped with vinyl.
Reach Out to the Masses
A car wrap is a powerful marketing tool that you can use to reach out to the masses with your brand. With powerful graphics, you could take your advertising game to a different level !!
Build Your Brand
It is important to make your brand recognizable. A car wrap is a great tool for creating your brand recognition as repetitively seeing the brand logo on the move, creates an impact on the consumers’ minds.
Mobile Billboard
The best thing about a mobile billboard is, unlike the regular billboards, now your brand name can travel to any location and literally break all boundaries. This enables you to reach out to a variety of audiences in various places.
24/7 Service
As long as the vehicle is in the traffic your logo can be seen by people any time of the day. Even when it is parked it serves as a billboard for displaying the brand. So basically get a 24x7 advertising.
Cost-Effective
With vehicle wraps, you can just do it once and it advertises for you as long as the wrap is on the surface, unlike billboards that need to be changed every now and then.
How Car Wrapping Works
Measure Up
You need to measure the area of the component that will be wrapped ensuring you have enough material in the wrap kit. Cut out excess material than required using a clean, sharp blade or Scotchcal Snitty Cutting Tool.
Clean Up
The surface to be wrapped has to be very clean, so wash it down with soap and water to ensure no dirt is present on it. Any car wax or car cleaners must be avoided as they contain ingredients that may affect the adhesiveness of the wrap.
Clean up Again
You should double-check the surface to make sure it’s squeaky clean. You can use surface cleaning wipes to clean the panel or component to remove any contaminants or residues that might be left.
Ready for the Fun Bit!
Take the wrapping film and carefully remove the backing paper from it without touching the side of the adhesive or getting it dirty. Place the film carefully into position on the surface of the panel. It won’t stick unless pressure is applied so you can get it in the right place now.
Apply Pressure
Now you need to apply pressure on the surface of the film starting from the centre and smoothing the bubbles moving towards the edges while taking out the entrapped air. There are special channels in the adhesive backing to reduce the risk of entrapping any air but you can remove the small ones with your fingers.
Benefits of Car Wrapping
Cost-Effective
Car wraps are an affordable alternative to paint customization of your vehicle. They are a one-time investment.
Vehicle Protection
Car wraps are a great way to protect your car’s original expensive paint from rain, sun, heat, dust and corrosion from rock chips and as they are durable yet stylish.
Reversible
You don’t have to risk damaging the original veneer of your car with a custom paint job when you can just get car wraps that are reversible!! They don’t harm your car’s surface and can be easily peeled off to remove without any damage.
Aesthetics
Now you have endless choices of designs, patterns, textures, colour and finish to choose from with car wraps. You can even choose the finish of the wrap like matte or satin, camo, colour-changing, carbon fibre, etc. You want any design, we get it done for you. Since they are applied by professionals, only a trained eye can make out that it’s a vinyl wrap. The final finish of the product is just like a new paint job.
Versatility
With car wraps, you are now spoilt for choices. You even can get your car customized where a paint job cannot be done like in case of a lease agreement. You can get the car wrap as it can easily be removed to revert to its original condition, without violating its warranty or any agreements.
Car Wrapping Maintenance
1. After the car wrap is installed the moisture in the adhesive between the vinyl and the car surface is evaporating so you should not wash the car or leave it under rain for the first five days of installation.
2. During the initial period of the curing of the film, some air bubbles or slight haze may be noticed which is completely normal. The film settles down once the vehicle is driven regularly and exposed to the sun in a couple of weeks.
3. After the film has completed its curing, you can wash your car normally. You can use 2 buckets and a woollen mitt for washing. In case of pressure washer make sure to use the spray lance from at least 1-metre distance from the film surface to prevent the edges from lifting.
4. It is recommended to use pH neutral car products on the film !!
5. Remove any bird droppings or bug splatter by cleaning the surface with warm water and a microfiber cloth, because the acidic contents of these might damage the vinyl surface of the film.
6. Some car polishes or waxes are not recommended for use on the films as they have abrasives, petroleum or solvents that might remove the adhesive of the film.
7. Also, it is advisable not to use abrasive or resin-based products to avoid hazing of the surface.
Final Words
A car/ vehicle wrap is a perfect, cost-effective investment whether you are using it to revamp your car, advertise your brand or protect the original paint. Some of the brands of vinyl wraps that we use are 3M, Oracal, Hexis, Avery, etc. You can contact us if you need more info on vehicle wraps and to find out which product will be the best fit for you.
TESTIMONIALS
If you value good service and quality product then Top Geer Wraps is your best choice. I’ve used Brooks for a number of projects, including protecting our cars using 3M Paint Protection. My next project will be to wrap my car to advertise my real estate business. I couldn’t be happier with the service I’ve received and would highly recommend Brooks and Top Geer Wraps.
Dustin Graham
Excellent work. Answers any questions one may have. Willing to accommodate your schedule.
I would highly recommend his work.
Frankie Lourenco
Top Geer Wraps has wrapped my Lamborghini many times! I love the fact that every spring I have a fresh new look for my car thanks to Top Geer. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my car! Brooks De Geer does the best work in the GTA hands down! I’ll be bringing him my new Hurican in the spring… Very excited!
Rob Boyko
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Should I Use A Car Wrap Instead Of A Paint Job?
The best thing about a vehicle wrap is it protects your vehicle’s original paint and redesigns it without damaging your vehicle’s surface. Besides, it is reversible and you can always choose to remove it and revert back to its original condition. They not only provide unlimited options for designs but also are cheaper.
Will A Vehicle Wrap Damage The Paint On My Vehicle’s Surface?
No. if installed properly by professionals, these can be applied and removed without any alterations to your vehicle. However, it is essential that the process is carried out by trained professionals.
Do I Need To Take Any Special Care After The Vehicle Wrapping?
It is important to take good care of your vehicle especially the first few weeks after installation. You must clean any dirt, grime, salt or grease from the surface to make it last longer. Also, there are certain restrictions on using some car products.
What Does The Warranty Cover?
The warranty of the vehicle wrap covers any damage to the vinyl like peeling, cracking, fading, discoloration, staining, etc. There is a lifetime warranty on the tints and a one-year warranty on vehicle wraps.
What If My Vehicle Wrap Gets Damaged Somehow?
Depending on the degree of damage we can remove and replace that particular section of the wrap.
Can I Take My Wrapped Vehicle For A Drive-Through Car Wash?
Yes, you can. Although hand washing is preferable, being safer as the brush car washes may be too rough and may damage the film.
What Can I Use For Spot Cleaning?
You can simply use rubbing alcohol to clean any isolated spots or stains and wash the area with cool water afterwards. You should not wipe the wrap when it is hot as the film may distort and wrinkle.
Can I Pressure Wash My Vehicle Wrap?
Yes, you can but keep the pressure below 2000 psi and use a nozzle of the spray with a 40 degrees angle at least 12 inches away with the water below 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
What Detergent Can I Use For Hand Washing My Car?
You can use a mix of water and mild car detergent (pH between 5 to 9) without alcohol, abrasives or any strong soluble components.
When Should I Clean My Vehicle?
It is advisable not to clean the vehicle within the first 48 hours of installation. After this, you may wash your vehicle every 15 days.
Can I Wax My Vehicle?
You should make sure the wax does not contain petroleum distillates, found in many common paste waxes. Those wax products which are a mixture of a waterless wash and wax are great if the vehicle does not have a matte finish wrap. You can test the wax prior to application on a small part of the vehicle.
How Long Can A Car Wrap Last?
If maintained properly a car wrap can last almost 5 to 7 years.
How Should I Take Care Of A Vehicle Wrap?
You can wash your vehicle, though handwashing is safer it can be taken through a brushless car wash. You can also hand wax your car to make the wrap last longer. The wrap protects the interior paint of the car and preserves its original look.
Is The Vehicle Wrap Removable? Will It Damage My Car While Removing?
You can absolutely remove any vehicle wraps, which is one of their greatest advantages, and that too without any damages to the underlying paint. It protects the vehicle’s original paint and preserves its appearance from wear. Though it is important to remember that the paint on repaired parts may get damaged.
Can I Wrap My Vehicle Myself? Do You Sell Vinyl Wraps For Vehicles?
Absolutely not! It takes a highly trained and skilled professional to install the vinyl wrap over your vehicle without a single scratch. You must not try this at home yourself and that is why we do not sell vehicle wraps separately. Always let professionals take care of the installation.
