How to - Vinyl Car Wrapping
Vinyl car wrapping will continue to be a major trend for 2017 and we’re here to help you learn how to do it. Whether it’s a vehicle used to market your business, or your own personal vehicle that you’d like to freshen up; vinyl is the way to go!
Vinyl car wrapping progressed mainly for advertisement purposes, but now a lot of people are choosing to wrap their cars, rather than repaint. Avery is the leader of modern, advanced adhesive vinyl; ranging in many different colors and finishes (chrome, matte, semi-gloss). Some may be thinking about the stickers that they tried putting on their cars years ago. Trying to get the right placement, remove air bubbles and to get a smooth finish takes skill. The techniques used to wrap a car still take practice and require some skill, but it’s now easier than ever before thanks to the adhesive technology. Avery’s adhesive technology allows you to reposition, stretch and mold the vinyl before it fully adheres at around 24 hours. This type of “cast” vinyl has channels allowing the air and bubble to escape; leaving you with a smooth finish for up to 10 years. All vinyl rolls can be stretched by 40% to allow wrapping around bumpers, curves and edges.
Car Wrapping Steps:
Step 1: Choose your desired vinyl. At Mclogan Supply we sell 60 inch x 25 yards of color changing vinyl rolls, in 50 different colors. Usually one basic color roll will cost you around $550 and that will cover most cars fully. Since this is just a single color change, anyone can do it. You don’t have to worry about a design or printing. In some cases, our customers just need a specific area of their vehicle color changed and we then sell the vinyl by the yard.
Step 2: Thoroughly clean the car and make sure it’s dust free. Removing mirrors and molding makes for a smoother vinyl wrap and usually takes less time over all. Any type of dent, deep scratch, or dead bug will show up under your vinyl, so be sure to get the car as clean and smooth as possible.
Step 3: Map out where you want to start vinyl wrapping. Some prefer to start with the bumpers, because they take some time to stretch and mold the vinyl. Other people start with the hood of the car, like you can see on our YouTube video posted here. Once you know where you’re going to start, use a Mclogan Utility Knife to cut your vinyl into sections. These panels need to be pre-cut to cover the entire desired space as seamlessly as possible. Next, you will use Mclogan Wrapping Magnets to hold the vinyl in place as you remove the backing (just like a sticker).
Step 4: Start sticking the vinyl panel onto your car, from the center out. If the vinyl doesn’t lay right/bubble just lift up the edge, pull and stretch, before you lay it back on. Using a Wetedge Squeegee here is key. This squeegee will allow you to stretch, mold and smooth the vinyl over the vehicles curves. Using a heat gun while stretching and molding the vinyl is also really helpful, especially for bumpers. Preheating and stretching the vinyl will help with the harder concave spaces.
Step 5: Now that your vinyl has been pulled, stretched, heated and smoothed into place, you can now cut off the excess vinyl. Use your Mclogan Utility Knife to carefully cut away and peel. Be sure to use a light hand when cutting, to ensure that you are not scratching the paint beneath the vinyl. Remember to reapply the cut edges with 3M Primer 94 to prevent peeling! A good tip is to not forget to use Primer 94 under your hood, attaching the vinyl to the hood. The hood seems to be a spot some people forget and over time it is known to peel away.
After these 5 steps you are done! Take in your new looking vehicle and enjoy your labor! The best thing about vinyl is that your car paint is now protected from minor rocks, road trip dings, and fading from the sun. Your vinyl will last up to 10 years if you’re using Ducky Car Wrapping Vinyl Cleaner.
We can’t wait to see your next vinyl project, so be sure to #mclogansupply on Facebook and Instagram. As always, call us with any questions.
Car Wrapping Steps:
Step 1: Choose your desired vinyl. At Mclogan Supply we sell 60 inch x 25 yards of color changing vinyl rolls, in 50 different colors. Usually one basic color roll will cost you around $550 and that will cover most cars fully. Since this is just a single color change, anyone can do it. You don’t have to worry about a design or printing. In some cases, our customers just need a specific area of their vehicle color changed and we then sell the vinyl by the yard.
Step 2: Thoroughly clean the car and make sure it’s dust free. Removing mirrors and molding makes for a smoother vinyl wrap and usually takes less time over all. Any type of dent, deep scratch, or dead bug will show up under your vinyl, so be sure to get the car as clean and smooth as possible.
Step 3: Map out where you want to start vinyl wrapping. Some prefer to start with the bumpers, because they take some time to stretch and mold the vinyl. Other people start with the hood of the car, like you can see on our YouTube video posted here. Once you know where you’re going to start, use a Mclogan Utility Knife to cut your vinyl into sections. These panels need to be pre-cut to cover the entire desired space as seamlessly as possible. Next, you will use Mclogan Wrapping Magnets to hold the vinyl in place as you remove the backing (just like a sticker).
Step 4: Start sticking the vinyl panel onto your car, from the center out. If the vinyl doesn’t lay right/bubble just lift up the edge, pull and stretch, before you lay it back on. Using a Wetedge Squeegee here is key. This squeegee will allow you to stretch, mold and smooth the vinyl over the vehicles curves. Using a heat gun while stretching and molding the vinyl is also really helpful, especially for bumpers. Preheating and stretching the vinyl will help with the harder concave spaces.
Step 5: Now that your vinyl has been pulled, stretched, heated and smoothed into place, you can now cut off the excess vinyl. Use your Mclogan Utility Knife to carefully cut away and peel. Be sure to use a light hand when cutting, to ensure that you are not scratching the paint beneath the vinyl. Remember to reapply the cut edges with 3M Primer 94 to prevent peeling! A good tip is to not forget to use Primer 94 under your hood, attaching the vinyl to the hood. The hood seems to be a spot some people forget and over time it is known to peel away.
After these 5 steps you are done! Take in your new looking vehicle and enjoy your labor! The best thing about vinyl is that your car paint is now protected from minor rocks, road trip dings, and fading from the sun. Your vinyl will last up to 10 years if you’re using Ducky Car Wrapping Vinyl Cleaner.
We can’t wait to see your next vinyl project, so be sure to #mclogansupply on Facebook and Instagram. As always, call us with any questions.
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