Why does the vehicle wrap business use scale?

Vehicles of all types, whether it is a truck, trailer, car, or van – are simply large. As an example, a small passenger car can easily be 14-15 feet in length. Most professional sign and graphics design software will not allow such prints to be made or in the case they do support such sizes – they present problems when trying to integrate within a work flow with software or staff.

Common Scale Ratios in Vehicle Wraps

For many years vector vehicle outlines were produced in 1/20th scale. Within your vehicle wrap design software you would in this case create all of your graphics at 1/20th scale and at final output increase the overall size by 2000%. In recent years, vehicle wrap designers have adopted a new standard which attempts to simplify the scale concept in vehicle wraps.

The Importance of 1/10th Scale in Vehicle Wraps

In the first example, the designer would increase the overall dimensions by 2000% to reach the actual size and during the design stage, placements of logos and such things are displayed by an arbitrary number. In 1/10th scale these numbers begin to make a world of more sense and easily be communicated while designing the vehicle wrap. The total vehicle graphic would need to be increased in size at output by 1000% as opposed to 2000%.

Using 1/10th scale for your vehicle wrap project would require the designer simple math to view and modify work by moving the decimal point 1 digit to the left. For example, if the customer request their logo on the side of the vehicle to be at least 4 feet in length or 48 inches, the vehicle wrap designer would display 4.8 inches in his or her design software. In another example, if you were supplied with a 16 foot by 8 foot van or 192 inches by 96 inches, your working dimensions would be 19.2 inches by 9.6.

As you can see using 1/10th scale in your vehicle wrap work can be extremely simple and powerful. In the last example, it is far easier to design an image 19.2 by 9.6 inches plus bleeds than dealing with an artboard in the hundreds of inches.

Primer 94

Primer 94 isn’t a sealing material exactly, but it is used to add extra adhesion underneath areas of high stress. You simply apply a liberal amount of this compound before you install the vehicle wrap to the areas you think that could use more grip. Primer 94 works with you as you perform the installation as it’s activated by heat and begins to strengthen as you heat and apply.

Edge Sealer

Edge sealer is a clear compound you can apply over the edge and onto the vehicle to permanently close these edges. This is the perfect material for sealing in vehicle wrap window elements at the edges to prevent areas from lifting in the future.

Pen Sealer

In recent years, edge sealer has been available in pen form or more accurately marker form. The chemical compound is the same as traditional edge sealer, however far more convenient and cleaner to use than the original version.

Laminating Stripes

Laminating stripes are thinly cut pieces of standard vinyl laminate. Vehicle wrap installers use these over areas where extra cuts are made or sometimes to seal two or more overlapping vehicle wrap panels. Using these stripes are an easy way to seal edges which doesn’t require you to get any supplies you wouldn’t already have on hand.

Once you have the basics covered in learning vehicle wrap installation, properly sealing will make your wraps better. Sealing edges and adding Primer 94 to give you an extra grip where it may be needed, will prevent problems from occurring down the road. Better vehicle wrap installations will keep business coming back and when they do come back it won’t be for vehicle wrap repairs.

What do you Need for Work?

Wrapping your work vehicle is an obvious choice above a random car you have access to. Your chosen work vehicle would get the widest of exposure because of the amount of use it would receive getting supplies, traveling to work sites, and essentially being on display where you need it. Consider it your mobile portfolio to show off your work.

Display Your Message Large

For maximum impact your choice will need to also have adequate sized body panels to get the most bang for your buck. Vans work wonderfully for this purpose as they have large blank areas which can easily re-purposed to fit a vehicle wrap. Cars and trucks on the other hand do not work as well for this purpose as many have long surfaces with many contours which leaves you less room to get creative in your vehicle wrap.

How Long Will it Take?

Finally, consider the amount of time it’ll take to complete a wrap on certain body type. While the fact remains anything can really accommodate a full vehicle wrap, certain vehicles such as a Hummer can significantly increase the time it’ll take to complete a wrap installation. If the choice is there, your time is best served not being consumed installing graphics to extreme angles and extra complex compound forms.

In my experience the best vehicles to use to promote a vehicle wrap business, whether a full service wrap facility or mobile installation contractor, are cargo vans or passenger cars with a boxy appearance. They’ll get you to the job site, pack your rolls of vinyl, provide ease of installation, and give your business a great large advertisement everywhere you drive.

The first step one should take is to get the computer mockup of the design to get a visual on what it’s supposed to look like and attempt to paste them up in the closest possible way to the computer graphic version. Be aware that the scale design supplied to you may not exactly represent what is directly in front of you in three dimensions.

Generally in vehicle wrap graphics these are the parts you’ll be supplied with or asked to make with your sign printer: bumpers, driver’s side, passenger’s side, hood/bonnet, roof, trunk or rear and the windows. Many of these panels for your vehicle wrap can be create as a single piece which fits largely over the body panels of the vehicle wrap, while in other instances a certain section is created from tiles.

Tiled vehicle graphics can be described as several overlapping sheets of vehicle wrap graphics that are placed one on top of another to achieve a larger finished image. This is done for different reasons depending on the circumstances of the actual vehicle wrap installation. It may be tiled in order to conserve media by fitting the most panels into a roll vehicle wrap vinyl to avoid waste or it may simply be the driver’s side panel (as an example) is too large to be printed as one solid panel.

When fitting these various vehicle wrap panels together it’s good to consider the overlapping areas and spend your timing getting all the separate parts in the right place to get your installation looking great and as though it were one giant piece. This same time for consideration can be carried over to the design and printing of the vehicle wrap, as it is a series of connecting panels on a three dimensional curved surface – the designer/printer should try to avoid closely connecting graphics between one section to another.

For each person, getting in, working, and learning to wrap vehicles may happen for a variety of different reasons. Some may extending the services of their existing sign shop, while others may have learned the trade of applying vehicle wraps and seek to venture off on their own.

Being your own boss in the business of vehicle wraps can be very lucrative if you’re prepared to give up a steady pay check and work very hard to promote your services. Contracting out your services as a vehicle wrap installer is a simple business that can be done from you’re own vehicle with very few supplies on hand. For a list of basic tools you’ll need to install a vehicle wrap, please read this article.

1. Learn to Earn – You’re vehicle wrap installation skills are going to have to be good and sound. The speed at which you complete a job will be slow by the standard of other wrap installers at first – but this will pickup as time and practice go on. The key is your vehicle wrap training and installation is at the level of at least par to others in your community.

2. Get Prepared – After you’ve found the wrap car tutorials, applied your knowledge, and feel you’re confident with most vehicle wraps, it’s time to gear up and get ready. For a list of basic tools you’ll need to install a vehicle wrap, please read this article. It’s a good idea to get all of the supplies you may need to install a vehicle and have them handy and ready in your vehicle when you go on location.

3. Network – After installing full wrap vehicle graphics is down to a science and all your equipment is put together, the biggest and maybe most difficult aspect of being your own vehicle wrap contractor is getting your service and your reputation out to the industry. This may sound like a daunting task, but most of this self marketing would only have to be done once. Find the vehicle wrap companies in your area and talk to them. Local companies are always in a bind and have some overflow installs that need to be done.

4. Network More – Once you have your service know to the people in your local area, the next place to search is the Internet. Find the large national vehicle wrap companies and contact them. These companies can offer vehicle wrap installation only jobs as they are a hub for national activity. With a bit of hard work you can easily land a few vehicle wrap installations and with a hand full of companies aware of your services – you can stay busy for months even years to come.

Vinyl Squeegee / Paddle: a vinyl squeegee is a basically small piece of flat plastic used to apply vinyl graphic films. They come in different sizes and different chemical makeups which influence they way feel in use. In the case that you purchased some squeegees with two hard edges, it’s possible to use two way tape to secure a piece of felt to the edge so as not to scratch the vinyl when you apply the vehicle wrap.

Retractable Utility Knife: A good small knife is needed to properly trim and finish areas of vehicle wrap graphics after it’s applied. It’s important to always have a sharp edge because certain areas of your vehicle wrap can require the utmost of precision and cleaner finishing cuts ultimately make for a more professional final job.

Masking Tape: You can get this anywhere really, but your local sign supplier can usually supply you with a high tack good masking tape for you to setup your vehicle wrap panels before you begin installing. Masking tape can act as a second pair of hands to hold up half of the vinyl sheet while your working on a another location.

Cleaning Agents: Be sure to have some basic cleaning solvents nearby to properly clean the vehicle before any vehicle wrap application. It’s important to remove any grease or wax that you’ll commonly find on cars and trucks. Sign suppliers can provide you with commercial cleaning agent specifically designed for cleaning vehicles as well as removing any leftover adhesive.

I’ve spent over ten years in the graphics and vehicle wrap industry and this is certainly a new idea to me. As a person involved in the business of vehicle wraps, the majority of my clientele come from marketing, advertising, as well as small and major brands directly. I haven’t once received a project involving a private vehicle being sponsored by a third party.

Individuals and companies who typically purchase car and truck wrap advertising, do so to brand a fleet, sales vehicles, courier vehicles, and major transports - what is certain is that they own or lease all of these vehicles. On occasion a marketing firm may rent a car, truck, or van to advance a particular ad campaign, but they do so while maintaining their agenda.

I can’t say without a doubt that ‘Getting Paid to Drive’ types of offers are completely a scam and simply a way to get unsuspecting visitors to pay a fee for inclusion - but I’m highly suspicious. In my experience I’ve never seen it happen.

When advertisers pay thousands of dollars for vehicle wraps to promote their products or services, what they look to achieve is visual impressions within a certain marketplace - something they can measure. At times, they have promoters whose sole job is to drive, event market, and distribute samples. Other times they purchase a vehicle wrap installation for branding the vehicles in their company that travel the most throughout the city, such as sales and delivery vehicles.

With the propagation of programs that claim to provide an adwrap for your vehicle, my suggestion is to use a common sense approach. Why would a major brand spend this money to wrap your car?.. You don’t work for them and they have no way of tracking your mileage or movement. Even if they did this would introduce a huge invasion of privacy. If you do decide to try one of these paid programs, be sure to commit due diligence and ask all the questions you have. If they don’t have the answers to your questions you can assume they’re not legitimate.

TV, Radio, and Other Media - Their vans and trucks are always circulating the city for events and editorial features. It’s a very common occurence to see vehicle wraps in this business and it’s very lucractive as TV and Radio often rebrand and refresh their image frequently.

Courier and Delivery - City vans and trucks in this industry have very high mileage and visibility. Try pitching a few vehicle wraps to the bigger companies and you’re sure to walk away with at least a series of supply and install decal jobs.

Food and Beverage - This industry is a larger extension of of the previous one, however it’s often the case that larger vehicles are used and more vehicles are available. The food and beverage area is where you can really get some square footage out of your printer, but make sure you have the space to work on a full sized trailer at your shop.

Public Transport - Alot can be done in the realm of public transportation including full bus wraps, station wall murals, and even the standard out of home advertising. This section is heavily government regulated, so prepare yourself to do some political maneuvering and fill out some tenders.

Advertising and Marketing Companies - This business can be viewed as sort of an umbrella encompassing many different printing technologies, but great working relationship can be made. Getting vehicle wraps through advertising channels can get you a head start on emerging businesses that you would not have sold to before.

Do your own research to find names and positions for the markets you’d like to enter, from there it’s up your marketing plan to go to work. Whether by direct mail, phone calls, or advertising of your own finding and ironing out a niche for your vehicle wrap business will certainly set you apart from your competitors.

Always remember to avoid over stretching your wrap vinyl so that there’s little adhesive to grip to the surface. When installing your vehicle wraps try to relieve areas of strain by placing in intentional relief cuts and folding into crevice where this is possible.

1. Thoroughly clean the vehicle with proper degreasing agents that widely available through local sign suppliers. With a squeegee and rag in hand make an effort to clean deep into any and all grooves that your vehicle may have.

2. Apply a liberal amount 3M’s Primer 94 into deep grooves and indents to get an extra bite when heating in these areas after application.

3. Remove elements of the vehicle that may interfere with the wrapping application such as rear window wipers, rear view mirrors, extraneous molding elements. By spending some time removing these obstacles, it’ll save you quite a bit more time down the road.

4. Tape up all of your vehicle wrap panels including any window perforated film and check it’s placement to your layouts are accurate. This is a crucial stage to ensure your secondary window film will match up and fit the vehicle.

5. Apply your vehicle wrap graphics with a firm yet flexible felt-edge squeegee, such as Avery’s dark blue applicator. Use any technique or method you’d like, but be sure to maintain a smooth finish free of wrinkles, bubbles, noticeable cuts, and tears.

6. Commit an adequate amount of time to trimming and finishing your vehicle wrap with clean and polished cuts. Try and use a straight edge for linear sections when trimming away vinyl to provide your client with the cleanest possible finish.

7. Align and apply your window perforated film to the remaining unfinished areas. Complete your installation by running a bead of sealant around the window film such as 3M’s Edge Sealer.

8. Replace the vehicle body elements you had removed before the vinyl installation. Wipe the vehicle wrap clean of any stabilo marks and remove any masking tape that may have been left during application - and you’re done.

By following these 8 simple steps in the vehicle wrap tutorial, you can rest assured that the vehicle wrap leaving your shop will look it’s best now and for years to come.