The cost of a vehicle wrap sometimes surprises people. Depending on what kind of wrap is going on your car (printed vs. color change, full wrap vs. partial wrap), you could be looking at a pretty high price tag. It’s hard to justify the cost, unless you understand the effort put into wrapping a vehicle. You could probably find a cheap “wrap kit” online and look up video tutorials on how to wrap a car, but in the end, you will be spending a lot more than what a sign company will be charging. If you’re looking into “saving some money” and wrapping a vehicle yourself, keep reading!
Step one: Know the Material
Wrap vinyl is a very special and complex product that needs to be made correctly in order to properly adhere and conform to the vehicle body. Wrap vinyl comes in custom colors and finishes. You can even purchase textured wrap vinyl! Brushed metal is a popular finish and when installed on a vehicle, it looks really sharp. High quality wrap vinyl is not cheap and is sold by the yard in large rolls. You can find a cheap “wrap kit” online for around $300, but don’t be surprised when the edges start flaking away after a couple months.
Step two: Understand the Vehicle
Wrapped vehicles are quickly becoming the coolest way to customize your vehicle. However, it is not a paint job. If you look closely (even on the best vehicle wraps), you will find minor flaws. There will be an edge or two that may be visible in some places. Wrap vinyl is basically a giant sticker (expertly placed) so if the body of the vehicle has any dents or deep scratches, the texture of those features will show through. Also, vinyl will not adhere to chrome, rust, rubber, or plastic. Printed wraps are especially tricky (to design) because digital templates don’t always show the true location of un-wrappable features. Having the vehicle present while in the design stages is important. These points lead up to the last, and maybe most important, step. The installation.
Step three: Install
You could spend hours watching video tutorials on how to install a vehicle wrap but there’s no “magic” tutorial telling you in full detail how to wrap your vehicle. Real experience is what really educates a new installer. There are so many tricks and tools needed to expertly install a vehicle wrap and even if you’re doing it once (or not wrapping the whole vehicle), you will run into a problem that you won’t know how to fix. Saving money is very important, but quality is what matters. In the end, you get what you pay for.
