How to vinyl wrap a car

We have all seen vehicle wraps that are peeling or have bubbles on the wrap. When you take your vehicle to a professional installer, these problems are the least of your worries. As long as the installer is a well-established, experienced vehicle wrap shop and not some guy in his garage. However, if you decide to not go through a professional installer, we at 1st Impressions have some advice on how to vinyl wrap a car.

One key factor in vehicle wrap application is deciding where to apply the wrap. Preferably, it should be in a controlled environment, where the temperature is between 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit. The optimum temperature is 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Having the temperatures between 50 and 90 degrees will allow the vinyl to stick to the surface of the vehicle better and wrapping the vehicle in an indoor, controlled environment will decrease the amount of wind, dust and other contaminants.

The first step before you apply the vehicle wrap is to prep the vehicle surface. You don’t want to apply the wrap to your vehicle if the surface is dirty and dusty. You want it to be clean because any residue or dirt will show through the wrap and create bubbles.

You only get one chance at a first impression, so make sure that your vehicle wrap is professional and enticing.

Next, it is important that you put the pieces of the vehicle wrap on the car with the backing still on before you install it. Once you remove the backing from the vinyl, you really only have one chance to get it right. Usually, if you need to reposition the vinyl, it can pull of the paint and the vinyl will lose its adhesive. Placing the vinyl on the car with adhesive is important so you can make sure it fits correctly and make any necessary adjustments before sticking the vinyl on.

Then, remove parts of the car such as the windows and molding so you can make sure the vinyl fits perfectly. If you don’t remove those parts, the vinyl may start to peel.

Now you are ready to start applying the vehicle wrap. Plan out your process, some people like to start with the hood or the bumper, or even the roof of the car. Then you can start applying sections of the vinyl. Pull of half and apply it to the vehicle, you can use a magnet to hold the other side while you use a squeegee to smooth out the other section.

When applying the vinyl, it can be helpful to use some source of heat, like a blow dryer, to help stretch out the vinyl. You have to be careful to not apply too much heat as it can burn the vinyl, making it unusable. The final step in applying the vehicle wrap is to trim around the moldings and door panels.

Of course, strength comes in numbers. Your vehicle wrapping project will go by quicker and more efficiently if you have more than one pair of hands.