Vehicle wraps continue to be one of the fastest-growing applications in the wide-format-graphics industry. Large corporations and small businesses understand the value of this form of outdoor advertising. In addition, more and more consumers who utilize wraps customize their personal vehicles to reflect their own unique style.
Formerly, screen and digital shops produced most wraps for larger companies that wanted semi-trailer fleet graphics. Because the price of digital printers has since dropped, smaller shops have entered the vehicle-wrapping business.
Must know
Simply purchasing a digital printer won’t launch a vehicle-wrap business. Several considerations loom. First, ask yourself, who’s doing my design work? Then, who will handle installation? Outsourcing, naturally, reduces your profitability, and, if you don’t already have a designer, you might consider hiring one. A good wrap begins with a good design.
To avoid potential panel-matching or alignment problems, the designer must consider horizontal versus vertical panels, panel matching and text location. Limiting seams, also important for nice-looking graphics, can be achieved with one, long, horizontal panel that spans the car’s entire side. Similarly, panel matches will be minimized.
Panel matching from curved areas, such as from the hood to fender, or, from the trunk deck to the quarter panel, requires significant film manipulation. Solid colors or busy patterns can alleviate alignment headaches.
Text location and positioning, also difficult on certain vehicles, should occur after the graphics. This ensures level text, and, more importantly, matching the text from one panel to the next won’t be a problem. Please note: This isn’t always an option, but it’s something to consider during the design process.
Getting into the business
Purchasing vehicle templates is a good starting point. Simple vector images of various vehicle types (cars, trucks, RVs and even boats) allow the designer to study and understand body lines and trim locations. Study the vehicle itself, or at least photos of the vehicle; some body lines aren’t represented in the two-dimensional vector image.
Training programs available
Shops commonly have one or two staff installers. This provides more control of the graphics from start to finish. Note, however, vehicle-graphics applications present more difficulty than applying graphics to flat substrates. For staff people who regularly install graphics, you may want to invest in training.
Vehicle wrapping is very complicated. Installers must thoroughly understand the application process. This understanding begins with cleaning and surface inspection. Without a prepared surface, your graphics will likely fail and create an unhappy customer.
Several media suppliers who recognize a need for training now offer seminars. Introductory training provides classroom information, as well as hands-on experience with the vinyl and various substrates. These media manufacturers will likely spend time explaining which of their products are best suited for vehicle-wrap applications and why. They might also explain cleaning procedures and installation tips and tricks for application on various substrates, specifically, vehicles with complex curves.
These one- to two-day training seminars give customers a “taste” of installing vinyl. It gives attendees the tools to try installations on their own, gain experience and perfect their style. No training, however, can replace real-world experience and practice.
If, after having attended a session, you still need more instruction, you can contract a wrap shop for onsite training. One advantage, of course, is training more than one employee without having to send them anywhere. Your employees will also get more one-on-one time with the instructor.
Don’t expect to be an expert immediately after having attended training sessions. The only way to expertise is by installing lots of graphics and learning the subtle tricks of working with pressure-sensitive vinyl.
Perfect practice makes perfect.