vehicle wrap help needed please?

[Robert Lambie]

what would you like to know?

please be more specific….

[Andy Gorman]

First of all, turn your bleedin’ caps lock off.

Now then, whereabouts are you? Someone might be close and willing to offer some advice or help. It’s not something you can learn online, you need hands-on training.

[Robert Lambie]

too be honest Andy… if hes too close mate he is probably gonna get slung a rubber ear as its not everyone that’s going to open their secrets to competition?

ide go on a wrap course… its not cheap but so much cheaper than fe***ing up a live job. 😕

[Emran Shaikh]

thanks. i am based in Manchester and Leeds. I don’t really want to go on a course because business has not been very good over this last month and its Christmas time I’m skint!!! plus the job is for my mate so its more of an experimental training for me. but i need to make sure that the graphics don’t wear off on the sunlight etc. i just don’t know where to start and what to get to do the job?

[Robert Lambie]

sunlight is not going to be a problem… prep of the van…

make sure spotless… grease and grime free. use a meth or similar cleaner

use the best wrap material you can afford. don’t skrimp or it will bite your backside in a few weeks. mactac-macfleet, grafiwrap, oracal-command form, avery ez-apply etc

fit it dry! NO app fluid….

get a helper… one guy at least…
use a heatgun/paint stripper to baked vinyls after applied.

fit indoors in a relatively warm place.

don’t undercharge yourself as it takes a long time and should be done correct!

[Lance Sherrard]

Be very, very sure that what you’re sticking your vinyl to is stuck very, very well to the car.

Did I mention to check the age and quality of the paint job ?

[Emran Shaikh]

i really appreciate all the help I can. thanks. I saw a posting on this site someone wrapped a van. he plastered the vinyl all over the window as well, I am guessing that he cut out the window section later? is that right? also would you normally just cut it with a surgical blade? how would you avoid cutting into the paintwork? or would you generally push the vinyl under the rubber window seals? what about indentations on vehicles? for example like the transit vans… on the side panels because there is no windows they have panels but they have an indented frame around them. would i normally cut out that part or would i somehow push the vinyl into the indentations? What kind of price would you charge on a new mini? I don’t want to undercharge in a silly way. can anyone advise me of anyone who can print the vinyl for me?

[David Rogers]

Emran,

to be very frank & honest. This is probably a bit beyond your skill level. Vehicle wrapping is a skill that takes not just a 2 day course, but a background in knowing how vinyl reacts, what it’s limits are, having confidence in the product & yourself, and more than a basic knowledge of vehicle liveries. The results can look amazing & tempting to get into…but bide your time.

You’re asking fairly basic stuff, like ‘somehow’ get it into indents…and ‘not cutting paintwork’ when knifing so it’s probably best not to embarrass yourself with a screwed up job. Save yourself a LOT of time, effort & money, get a pro to do it – then you can relax & admire the finished result!!

Me? I’ve got practically no wrapping skills, but do ‘normal’ liveries galore, and get any vehicle grade images printed by a trusted local firm – OK, I’ll maybe flood-coating the sides of transits with a couple of dimples & panels, but mastering the complex curves & bulges of a mini is not for the amateur!

You could always go for a compromise & go for a simpler printed ‘panel’ version, without the full wrap. Like just on the bonnet, or door panels – really easy.

Work within your limits and gently push your boundaries to grow in skill & confidence. Call round some local firms & see if they do wrapping – or who they call when they need it.

Best of luck anyway.

Dave

[luke bremner]

I think dave has the right advice, by the sounds of it your best not to go about this job your self, organise the printing your self and get a vehicle wrapper to do it for you in your work shop and watch every thing they do lend them a hand and ask them questions about how they move the vinyl around.

[Emran Shaikh]

thanks guys I really appreciate your help and advice. I understand your point. I may be able to find someone who can do it but I doubt very much they would let me watch!

[Martin Pearson]

Emran, I would have to agree with Dave and judging by some of the questions you asked I would not think you would be any where near ready for this sort of challenge yet.
What experience do you have applying vinyl at the moment? As Dave has already said you have asked some really basic questions, the sort of thing that someone who has been applying vehicle graphics for any length of time should already know. It can be frustrating watching others gain work because you are not yet ready yourself to take it on but in the long run you will save yourself a lot of grief and probably money if you wait until you have a bit more experience. To be honest I don’t think you will learn much by watching someone else anyway. Buy some vinyl and read some of the online tutorials and then make a start wrapping smaller objects that you have in your workshop or house. This will give you a good feel for the vinyl, how best to work it and its limitations.

[Emran Shaikh]

Hi, at the moment I use vinyl for normal signage. shop signs, window graphics car windows etc. I have been doing that for a while now. Approx one and a half years. I do generally have a good feel for normal everyday life vinyl, but I believe the vinyl used on vehicle wraps is slightly different? also generally on some signage I may use water to help application but I’ve bee told not to use any on a vehicle wrap. ….

[Martin Pearson]

Emran, if you have been running a sign business for a year and a half then you must have come across the problems of panel recesses before or at least I would have thought you would have done. How would you normally deal with a recess on a van ?
As for wrap vinyl being different well its more how it performs that is different, all vinyls will split or tear if overstretched but a wrap vinyl will stretch that much more before it tears, also once it has been stretched applying heat will shrink it back to pretty much its original size.
As for applying dry the reason for this is because the water helps to prevent the vinyl sticking straight away making it easier to remove and reapply should you make a mistake or something like that. When applying vinyl to areas such as recesses the water would lie in the recess preventing the vinyl from sticking to the vehicle properly.
Try what I suggested above, buy a couple of metres or get some samples and have a practice wrapping various items around your workshop or home, start with something which is reasonably flat with not to many curves and then progress to items which are quite curvy and have recesses in them.

[Emran Shaikh]

Hi Martin. Thanks I really appreciate your help. I was worried about getting the job all wrong. I have seen many of the SKY vans going around wrapped in pictures. Little things that I wasn’t quite sure on how to do. Such as trimming around the window etc. is it best to take the rubber trim off, vinyl under and re apply? or is it best to trim around the rubber seal approx 5-10mm? I will give it a go on some random objects around the house and workshop.
Thanks again, Much appreciated.