Learning to wrap…

[Peter Normington]

There are a few training videos around, but none as good as doing it hands on, get yourself on a 2-3day course, it may look expensive, but the cost could easily be covered by one good wrap job.

Peter

[Phill Fenton]

This is quite a useful video to study.
http://www.orafol.com/en/support/car-wrapping-video.html

[Robert Lambie]

wrapping courses are NOT expensive, they are a tax deductible "investment".

the average transit van with cut vinyl graphics comes in at around £200 and can be fitted in next to no time. if you are considering moving upto wrapping you should already be getting this sort of work in day in day out…

Wrap Training courses are normally offered by well expereinced tutors with years under their belt and hundreds of successful wrap jobs. the average wrap training course will cost you £200 per day… roughly same as what you charge for one of those average transit vans above… the difference is, you are being trained to improve, to bring in a higher income to open new doors for your business by reaping the knowledge from a guy thats taken years to learn his trade. suddenly that £200 doesnt sound so bad an "investment"?

in my eyes anyway. 😀

[Russell Huffer]

I agree that £200.00 is not a lot of money to learn a new trade, however there is another way, as a company we offer full wraps if wanted but we sub out all the fitting to a company just 500M away.

They fit vinyl all day long and do not have a printer so i supply the printed media and they fit it much quicker and better than i could.

I am lucky to have them on my doorstep however i know there are mobile fitters out there and doing it this way gets you to a professional level instantly with no outlay, there is also probably another saving in less vinyl destroyed and need reprinting.

Regards

Russell.

[Ade Brown]

Hi Rob

Roland academy has quoted me last week in excess of £500(599) – with a 5% discount for 2nd person!!

should i be looking else where??

Ade

[Peter Normington]

quote Ade Brown:

Hi Rob

Roland academy has quoted me last week in excess of £500(599) – with a 5% discount for 2nd person!!

should i be looking else where??

Ade

How many days was that for Ade?

Peter

[Ade Brown]

Hi Peter,,

that as for 2!!

[Paul S Martin]

Hi Ade

When was you Thinking of doing the wrapping course M8, I was also going to book the course soon

Paul

[Peter Normington]

I know when I took my course 18 months ago it was a lot less, and the course pricing was different, now it is per person, but it used to be per course, and up to 6 people could split the cost So we paid about 250 each
for 2 days for 4 people,
Have you asked Roland for a group price? We got a group together from the boards, and although our course was at grafityp, it is now encorporated with Roland’s and I think some others did a course there at a later date.

Peter

[Ade Brown]

these are the discounts offered!!

2nd Delegate 5% Discount

Up to 4 delegates 7% Discount

5+ Delegates 9% Discount

was wanting to do course next month but I am spending on new network/server and having complete new website built so spare money going on that – plus upgrading to SL8 P& C last month!!!

[Kyle Bennett]

Thanks for the information guys, can’t currently afford a course as I’ve literally just started in vinyl and still living off the website and graphic design side of my business. ( I do realise it’s an investment, however when the money isn’t physically in my bank, I have little to invest 😥 )

I’m getting a fair few enquiries for Vespa / Lambretta scooter wraps however, so me and a friend who’s had some experience working with vinyl before are going to do a bit of hands on learning tomorrow with some old Vespa panels we having laying around. I’m not even going to attempt any car / van wraps yet 😮

[John Dorling]

There is another option. Get an experienced wrapper/instructor in to help you do a paying job. That way the job pays for the teaching and the vinyl, and you make a profit. Because of board rules I’m not sure I can give you a name, but I do know someone who does it.

[Peter Normington]

I bet you will be going down that route as well John.
Its a good suggestion, and I also know a man that can, and will, instruct whilst fitting, although not against the rules, maybe best to only mention names in the uksg area, and only with the permission of the fitter,
Peter

[John Dorling]

Yes I’m sure we’re talking about the same person Peter! I’m pretty sure he helped out with that Aston Martin you did? (And it did look stunning!)

[Aaron Powell]

quote Phill:

This is quite a useful video to study.
http://www.orafol.com/en/support/car-wrapping-video.html

Just watched the video HATS OFF to you guys :appl: :punk:

It would be about ten years b4 i get there :uksbrules:

[JohnGray]

I attended a course around a year ago and to be honest I didn’t learn as much as I thought. I would probably have learned just as much by printing off some wraps and trying it myself.

I would suggest watching videos of wrapping but more importantly watching someone wrapping a vehicle right in front of you and then giving it a go.

I was thrown into the deep end when I started my wrapping, we had just secured a contract for wrapping around 50 Volvo trucks. I ended up wrapping them all myself apart from around 6 or 7.

Try to avoid using a heat gun excessively, only use one when necessary. Take your time and get yourself a good soft spreader and really sharp scalpel blade. Those are my top tips.

[Ian Muir]

Wrapping (the physical action, not the design) is not rocket science, it is a skill that can be learnt and one that you will get better at with time.

Thing is the benefit of seeing and picking the brains of a person/s who are used to doing wraps and trying to do it with them will save much time in learning and give you the necessary confidence.

Seems the two ways are to pay for a course or ‘donate’ a wrap job that comes your way to some local wrapper with a good reputation (nice idea the second one)

Hows about having an ‘expert’ come and wrap your own vehicle or that of a paying friend, a days one on one instruction should be more beneficial (and cheaper) than a two day course with 4 or 6 others.

I don’t wrap at moment and have never seen it done in the flesh but when I get my new second hand car I will search for a wrap expert to come along and put my design upon it then advertise this new part of my business.

Ian :lol1:

[Jason Xuereb]

Ian is right applying the vinyl is not rocket science.

The science comes into play when your planning the job before you start applying. Where do you start from. Which way do you work? How will the vinyl react? How do you counter this. How do you work around obstacles such as recesses and door handles? How do you trim the wrap without touching the paint. How do you prep the vehicle properly? What should you do after the wrap is applied? What are problem areas on a vehicle and how do you ensure the vinyl stays put?

These are lessons you can’t learn until you put a wrap out for 6 months and it comes back to you. You will see all the areas that are failing. Now if you did this on a customers vehicle who paid top dollar for it it will be a very EXPENSIVE lesson.

[Robert Lambie]

subbing work to a wrapper is one thing, the wrapper allowing you to stand and watch him is another. yes there are some that will, but not many and i doubt if your on their doorstep they would be as courteous… who can blame them, would you?

my point is, there is no point sitting there scoffing at this aspect of our trade saying its not that hard, when you cant actually do it!
it is a bit underhand saying get a local firm in to do the job and stand over them, watching them to save money paying for a course with the one intention of taking business from them.

if all you recon you will need is some quick pointers and to see the basic concept of applying it without paying a penny, then go to sign UK or the sign show. both exhibitions have loads of vinyl companies with their own guys wrapping vehicles on their stand throughout the day over the three days.

one thing i would say is, if you cannot apply a metre square of vinyl to a vehicle DRY without bubbles and creases on your own. then keep practicing. once you can, then consider going on a wrap course or go to signuk and catch an idea of the process. watch videos and more…

.

[Martin Armitage]

I think if you reasonably proficient and confident at using vinyl, then you can pick up the basic techniques, fairly quickly. I learnt enough on the course I went on to come back and wrap our van. never having done it before. I must say though that we went with a large supplier (not mentioned in this thread), the first two or three hours seemed to be sat in a classroom, having the company’s own products sold to us. For novices we would have been much better getting straight out and learning. The other problem with the course was that we were told that the way to remove air from recesses was to predill holes through the side of the van. The van we were working on was also predrilled wich made the application quite easy, I cant imagine a situation where this would ever be acceptable, or am I wrong
Mart.

[Ian Muir]

Appreciate your comments Jason and Robert, my original thoughts still stand.
Wrapping is not something that requires a 3 year apprenticeship to master, however when you are first shown and go on to do your first wraps alone then, as Jason mentions, 6 months down the line you may find you (and the vinyl) become unstuck, whether you go on a 2 day course or get good advice elsewhere that potential problem will still be with you.
For all of Jasons examples of skill requirements I would say – "tell me , show me, let me practice it", again whether at a course or in the field.

After gaining degees I undertook a 2 year higher level course in education to enable me to better teach adults, I understand a little about this area.

I expect the trainers at the wrapping course have not gone into such detailed training in education but does that mean I would be better than them or better than watching and learning from someone in the field?.. no, because I have not had the hands on experience, the practical skill of hand eye co-ordination in this area of work. Perhaps I could pick out, because I would be looking for it, those such as a poster above who was not getting full benefit from the course and adapt to assist them better.

Scoffing Robert, no, not a bit, just said it wasn’t rocket science, which it isn’t.

R.E. taking business from another, whether I went on a course or used a local wrapper for experience, the result is the same, I would still be taking business from them once I started wrapping, at least the local would get some payment from me.

Actually by ‘local’ I meant someone within say 100 miles who would be willing to come over or me go there.

And lastly ‘underhand’,…….. no, They would be informed of my intentions when I contacted them, that as a fellow signmaker I wished to learn this practical skill.

Ian
:lol1:

[Robert Lambie]

quote Ian Muir:

After gaining degees I undertook a 2 year higher level course in education to enable me to better teach adults.

teaching ADULTS? :lol1:
"tell me, show me, let me practice it" and after about 6 months of "winging it" ide be able to do this too, its not rocket science ian! 🙄

see what i mean? i know nothing about what is involved in doing this course so you would have every right to laugh my comments off "because you know better". ignorance is bliss!

As i said about subbing someone to do a job and you stand watching.
if the person is hired on the basis that he wraps a job and your allowed to watch so you too can get into this line of work, then fair enough.
but if you are potentially his future competition and you do not first make it clear your intentions, then yes, i would deem that as underhand.

There is a BIG difference in being good at something and thinking your good at something. as the saying goes, "you are only as good as your teacher!"

.

[James Deacon]

Training does seem to be a point of contention on these pages and a subject I may be bias on. I believe training is there to speed up the learning process and save costly mistakes from people who have been there already. One mistake could cost the same as training and indeed ignorance when application is concerned is bliss, until it pops out of a recess. A wrap course should not just be about application or based on one vinyl. It should cover all parts of the production process from start to finish. I do not believe you can learn from watching or you are missing the point and can pick up bad habits (drilling holes in vans!) I don’t mind people learning properly and being my competition, if it is done right the customer will come back and I can tout for that work! If a wrap is done badly by a ‘COWBOY’ they won’t and we ALL lose out.
Another factor is that sign people sometimes don’t like to think they can be taught better techniques and that it is better to take weeks to learn new skill when they could learn faster with training and earn the money for course instead.
I can also see the point in subcontract people to do the work instead, but would still recommend people get trained so you can spot sub standard work and ensure it look goods for years not days which is the REAL point of a professional wrap.

PS if anyone who has not previously done a wrap wants to watch a demo at the sign show then apply yourself straight after is welcome on the grafityp stand at signshow this year.
The gauntlet has been thrown!

[Graeme Clark]

quote Robert Lambie:

subbing work to a wrapper is one thing, the wrapper allowing you to stand and watch him is another. yes there are some that will, but not many and i doubt if your on their doorstep they would be as courteous… who can blame them, would you?

my point is, there is no point sitting there scoffing at this aspect of our trade saying its not that hard, when you cant actually do it!
it is a bit underhand saying get a local firm in to do the job and stand over them, watching them to save money paying for a course with the one intention of taking business from them.

if all you recon you will need is some quick pointers and to see the basic concept of applying it without paying a penny, then go to sign UK or the sign show. both exhibitions have loads of vinyl companies with their own guys wrapping vehicles on their stand throughout the day over the three days.

one thing i would say is, if you cannot apply a metre square of vinyl to a vehicle DRY without bubbles and creases on your own. then keep practicing. once you can, then consider going on a wrap course or go to signuk and catch an idea of the process. watch videos and more…

.

Hi Rob from someone considering a wrapping course (Roland or directed learning by an experienced installer) thats really good advice. The one thing I am struggling with is the choice of film. I am using scotchcal 70 in black and white and find it very high tack? surprisingly I find the black easier to apply than the white!!!!
Do you think I have a poor choice for my film?, thanks!

[Lee Attewell]

Interesting comments above^^^^

I totally agree with Rob’s comments regarding the use of a subbie to "learn" from.

A couple of years ago, I traveled to Sydney to attend a wrapping course at the Sign show there. Actually that’s where I met Jason (Hi Jas /waves).

The training I got there has been invaluable, so much better than the wrap courses we attend every year in Perth run by the various manufacturers. I’ve done I think four local courses and one in Sydney and I still book in each time one comes up to maintain current with the newest techniques.

We don’t do very many wraps, usually only one or two a month as we tend to concentrate on large wall graphics but actually paying for your education is a great thing. Especially if you are able to contact the trainer after the course has run to ask specific advice.

I wonder if a subbie would offer that?

[Jason Xuereb]

Hey Lee,

How you been? I agree with you. I was lucky enough to do a full two day course with Robin when he came down to Melbourne. I also keep in constant contact with him over email bouncing off ideas and techniques.

I’m trying to encourage to get him down here again. His opening up wrap training over in Germany so hopefully this year or next year he comes down. Hope business is still good.

Cheers
Jason