Vinyl Wraps 101

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Car Wraps 101 by Phoenix Auto Wrap

Now let's us continue. Vinyl wrapping also termed "car wrapping", "wrapping",  "auto skin" or "vehicle film" consists of applying large adhesive sheets of vinyl over your automobiles painted surface. This enables you to change the color and look of your personal vehicle, business vehicle, truck, motorcycle, golf cart, bus or plane with any photo, design, color or texture you want. What's great is that it's long lasting, durable and removable, but not permanent and your paint underneath will not suffer, unless you have a bad installer, which we do not have or employ!


Vinyl Types.  

There are two types of vinyl used as a protective film.  These two vinyls that can be made are by Calendering the Vinyl or Cast ing the Vinyl.  Let's explore the types so you know a few details about them. The basic ingredients are the same but the manufacturing process as well as the added plasticiser used create  some significant differences


1. Calendered Vinyl. Also termed "intermediate or  "short term films".   The plastic liquid mixture is put between large heated steel rollers that are rolled, stretched and flattened.  This produces a thicker film that has a genetic memory.  This memory leads the film to want to shrink back it's original size. The thickness also makes it a bit harder to work with curved or angled surface areas.  Calenedered Film tends to less expensive, however does not last as long and is not proper for all surfaces.  This film style does tend to be more scratch resistant and well suited for flat, minor curved surface and graphic lettering, but not enire panels or vehicles.  


2. Cast Vinyl.  Cast films are considered "premium grade" or the industries "premium film".  It too starts in the liquid state, but is poured into large casting sheets.  This casting process develops a nice thin gauged film.  Through the way it is heated, evaporation of solvents is enabled, leaving a solid film with awesome dimensional stability.  The entire process creates a thin film, which means better conformability, great for complex surfaces.
Shrinkage does not occur like that in the calendered film either, creating a more durable, long lasting film.
Cast film is the best option for extreme outdoor applications and provides dynamic, paint quality color and a lasting power to stick around.