All About Vinyl Wraps

everything you need to know about vinyl wraps

6 min read

Introduction
Vehicle Vinyl Wrap, is a thin film made of polyvinylchloride (PVC) polymer, that is typically installed over the body panel as an alternative way of changing the colour and/ or texture of the vehicle by covering its original paint work with vinyl decal. Vinyl decal comes with a variety of colours, textures, finishes, graphics and designs, at the preference of the owner. It provides a wide range of customisation options and protects your paint work from minor surfaces scratches and UV damages. Removal of the vinyl would leave a pristine and unscratched paint surface.

Vehicle vinyl wrap was first introduced into the automotive industry as a form of advertising solution. In 1993, Kay Premium Marking Films (KPMF) started to produce film to be used as a cheaper replacement for repaint works for the purpose of converting cars into taxis, while maintaining the future resale value of the vehicles. It was later that wrap installers started advertising the perks of vinyl wrapping, and began offering vehicle vinyl wraps as a cosmetic enhancement. Due to its overwhelming popularity, the industry started to innovate and produce colour change vinyl wraps, paint colour matching vinyl wraps, texture vinyl wraps (Carbon, Damask Steel and etc), and advanced colour vinyl wraps (Chrome, Metallic, Pearlescent Colour Changing, and even OEM matching paint code colour vinyl wraps).

Today, vinyl wraps are being popularily used on vehicles to change it's look while retaining it's original paintwork underneath, maintaining it's resale value. Vehicle owners are able to change their vehicle's colour every other year by just removing the vinyl wraps. Not only it gives you a new look, vinyl wraps can protect your vehicle's paintwork from scratches & swirlmarks. There are two different vinyl films, calendered films and cast films. Read on to know the difference to better understand which is suited for you.

Calendered Films
What are Calendered Films?
Calendered films are made from PVC, plasticizers and other additives. The solid mixture undergoes heat treatment and a series of rollers to flatten it, attaining a consistent thickness between 2.5 to 4 mils thick. These films has a complex finish, and are less coformable than cast films. They are harder to work with, and are mostly recommended for flat and simple surfaces, as they are less stretchy. These films have a life expectancy of approximately two to three years, with proper maintenance in our hot and humid weather.

Benefits of Calendered Films

  • Cost friendly: Calendered films are generally more affordable than cast films, making them a popular choice for budget-conscious consumers.

  • Variety of Colors and Finishes: Calendered films offer a wide range of color options and finishes, allowing you to customize your vehicle according to your preferences.

Cast Films
What are Cast films?
Cast films are also made from PVC mixture. This liquid is poured into a cast, molding it into a film approximately 2 mils thick. Cast films are stretchy and more conformable, mostly recommended for complex surfaces with curves, rivets and corrugations. These films are often referred to as High Performance or Premium films, with a lifespan of approximately five years, with proper maintenance in our hot and humid weather.

Benefits of Cast Films

  • Superior Conformability: Cast films have excellent conformability, allowing them to adhere smoothly to complex curves, contours, and recessed areas of a vehicle, resulting in a seamless and paint-like finish.

  • High-Quality Finish: Cast films provide a glossy and high-quality appearance, giving your vehicle a premium look.

  • Longevity and UV Stability: These films are known for their long-term durability and resistance to UV rays, ensuring the colors stay vibrant and the film remains intact over time.

  • Resistance to Shrinkage and Lifting: Cast films have minimal shrinkage and lifting tendencies, ensuring a secure and long-lasting bond to the vehicle's surface.

Calendered vs. Cast Films
Now the big question, which should you go for? Calandered or Cast films.

While calendered films tend to contract, shrink, crack, curl, or even fade overtime, it is still a popular choice among vehicle owners. It is not only cost friendly but also comes with a variety of colours and finishes that Cast films don't. It is suitable for vehicle owners that wants to be special and loves to change their vehicle's outlook once every few years.

On the other hand, premium cast vinyl wrap is more robust and long-lasting, providing better resistance against colour fading, weather abuse and better conformability for wrapping complex surfaces. It is definitely costly due to the higher caliber of the production. If you're looking for a long-term, long-lasting vehicle wrap and is satisfied with the colour choices that is available, look no further, cast films is the one for you.

TYPES OF VINYL WRAPS

Glossy wraps come with a glossy and classic finish, similarly to a vehicle’s original paintwork. Glossy wraps are widely available in a range of colours and designs. To name a few, there are solid colours, some with metallic flakes, pearlescent colour shift colours and more. Glossy wraps give your vehicle a shiny finish that enables light to bounce off, giving your vehicle some dimension and contour when out driving, making your ride stylish and beautiful.

GLOSSY WRAPS

Matte wraps give your vehicle, you guessed it right, a matte finish. Matte wraps give a sleek and luxurious look to your vehicle. And just like glossy wraps, they are also available in a wide range of colours and styles. However, matte wraps do not bounce light as greatly as glossy wraps, some might even say it does not bounce light at all. You might not be able to enjoy the contours of your vehicle as much as glossy wraps. But to each his own, am I right? The great thing about matte wraps is that although it does require some extra effort, special cleaners and sealants to maintain the texture and finish, it is not as susceptible to swirl marks as compared to glossy finishes.

MATTE WRAPS

Satin wraps are semi-matte wraps that give a balance of both a matte and glossy finish at the same time. As a result, it reflects a small amount of light. Satin wraps give a sleek look to your vehicle, making it an eye-turner when driving on the roads. This makes satin wraps a very popular choice among the younger ones at heart.

SATIN WRAPS

Due to its popularity, manufacturers have created special colours and textures to cater to this market. Here are a few special colours and textures we commonly see on the road.

OTHERS

Colour Shift Wrap (Glossy)

Colour Shift Wrap (Matte)

Textured Wrap (Brushed)

Carbon Fibre Wrap

Vinyl wraps may be less expense than spray paint, but it is still expensive. We hope this article is able to help you make an informed decision when deciding on getting your vehicle wrapped. Reach out to our team at Wrap Atelier should you still have certain doubts and queries not answered in this article, or if you want a second opinion on whether you should go for a matte wrap or satin wrap. We're always here, happy to help.

Photo credits to it's rightful owners. Wrap Atelier does not own any of photos/media in this article.
Source: https://www.indyimaging.com/cast-vs-calendered-psv/
Source: https://teckwrap.com/