You probably don’t know much about vehicle wraps or vehicle wrap installation unless you’re into automobiles or have a really unusual profession. However, given that you’re reading this, it’s reasonable to presume you’d like to change that. With that in mind, here’s a quick primer on car wraps – what they are, why you should use them, how to use them, and so on.

What is a Vehicle Wrap?

Vehicle coverings are exactly what they sound like: a sheath of material that is wrapped around a vehicle and to which graphics or other unique artwork is attached. They’re also a low-cost, high-quality alternative to costly, time-consuming custom paint jobs since, unlike traditional custom car painting, a vehicle cover may be simply removed after the task that required its installation is completed. This is especially useful if you’re borrowing a car rather than altering one you already own.

Now that you understand what a car cover is, the following step in the vehicle wrap installation procedure is to select the appropriate material for your needs. There are generally two types of material used in vehicle wraps, and which one you choose to work with depends on your budget and the demands of your specific project, just like many other things in life.

Here’s a rundown of each material, as well as an explanation of why you would choose one over the other:

Cast Film:

The purpose of automobile wraps is to provide the appearance of a bespoke paint job without really having one. Cast film vehicle wraps are a great way to do this. This is owing to the fact that the cover’s material has the intrinsic capacity to adapt to – that is, mould to the contour of – the vehicle being wrapped. Cast film is also approximately two millimeters thick on average, which helps to give cars a “just painted” appearance. Last but not least, cast film car coverings are exceptionally long-lasting, lasting up to five years. The cost of all of this, as you would have anticipated, is the trade-off.

Vinyl:

Vinyl is utilized for individual graphics, as opposed to cast film, which is virtually solely used for complete vehicle coverings. This lowers the cost of the vinyl alternative (so it’s a good option if you’re on a budget), but it’s also less durable and prone to visual irregularities. In the end, vinyl will serve its purpose, but it is not intended to be a long-term solution.