Why You Should Be Materialistic!

(When it comes to your wrapping materials)

There are so many more companies offering wraps these days and while that’s partly a good thing (we certainly can’t take care of the whole world ourselves!) this also means that sometimes (more than we’d like to see, honestly) customers are getting poor materials for their projects.  This is why, when it comes to your wraps, you should consider being materialistic!

Diecut/Vehicle Film vs Printed Graphics

For the majority of our projects we use two types of vinyl: one that is premade that we tend to use for our vehicles and one that we can full-color print and laminate.

Diecut/Vehicle Film

These come in a variety of premade colors, finishes, and transparencies.  A popular film for vehicles is 3M 1080 or 2080 (there will not be a test!).  Characteristics of this film include:

• Amazing finishes, including:

  • Matte, satin, gloss, carbon fiber, straight fiber, and brushed metal

• Adhesive that is pressure-activated (this makes the material a lot easier to work with)

• Non-visible air release channels (this means no bubbles under your wrap)

  • This type of adhesive is a must-have for vehicle wraps and graphics

  • It also means that when on a window you’re going to see the same color on the inside as on the outside...that’s not the case with non-air-release materials.

• Easy removal with heat and/or chemicals

• Expected performance life of 5-7 years

And why is it called “diecut”?  Because we cut out letters or shapes we need for installations.

Printed Graphics

What happens when you want something completely custom?  You get printed graphics.  They can be ANY

• Color

• Pattern

• Design

• Photo

We also want to incorporate your company’s logos, colors, and branding into the design. Once we print the graphics the material needs to rest for 24 hours before being laminated.  That laminate serves as a protective top layer over your graphics and can be either a glossy or matte finish.

If you want to get a bit nerdier about this, read on, otherwise skip to the next heading!

When we say “rest” here we mean “outgas.”  This is related to the eco-solvent ink that we use.  It has to “outgas” or evaporate.  This can cause problems.

• If you laminate the graphic too soon you will be trapping the solvent inside, which means there’s gas between the layers.  This means the vinyl can fail or delaminate easier.  When that laminate begins to peel away there’s no more UV protection for the vinyl.

• If you don’t wait for the material to outgas, it can be more flexible (since it’s not yet dry) which can then make the cutting process more difficult (since the vinyl hasn’t hardened).

Glossy vs Matte

While some people have strong opinions on glossy vs matte finish, many people don’t.  

Team Gloss

• Easy to clean and keep clean

• It often matches the paint finish of a vehicle  

• Does a better job of hiding imperfections on the surface you are wrapping

This is the preferred finish for vehicles, trailers, window graphics, decals, and signs.

Team Matte

• Looks classier (you stay classy, San Diego!)

• Cuts down on distracting glare

• Does a better job of hiding scratches

This is the preferred finish for wall wraps, wall graphics, and photo prints.  One downside for Team Matte?  Fingerprints and smudges are much more visible.

Calender vs Cast Vinyl

Now to get even more specific in the types of vinyl we can use, there’s calender vs cast vinyl.  While “calender” looks really close to the word “calendar” it has nothing to do with the days of the week, but the actual process used to make the vinyl.

“Calendering”

Ever mixed and rolled out a pie dough?  Then you can visualize this process.  But instead of delicious and edible ingredients, think not-edible, but certainly pretty when complete.  Gigantic heated steel rollers “knead” that vinyl “dough” into a thin sheet.  The type of plasticizer (what makes the film flexible) you use will determine the quality of your film, giving you a durability range of one year on the low end to seven years on the high end.

Calender vinyl is best for signs and flat surface installations.  If you try to stretch it, the color will distort, and if you heat it, it will shrink.

“Casting”

Instead of a pie think of a cake.  You’re going to add ingredients to a bowl and mix at a certain speed for a certain time to make sure the mixture is complete and consistent.  You then take this liquid mixture and “cast” onto a moving web (also known as a casting sheet).  That is then “baked” in the oven to make sure that the solvents evaporate.  What you have left is your film.

Because the vinyl is “cast” in a relaxed state, it’s perfect for vehicles or anything with complex curves.  Cast vinyl was never shrunk or stressed so it’s not trying to “get back” to an original form.  Other advantages include:

• Better durability

• Better color retention

So as you can see there’s a lot of thought and method behind our madness here at The Wrap Agency.  And you can see why being “materialistic” matters when it comes to putting together something for you that we want to last.

Not sure which of these materials make sense for you? Tell us about your project so we can give you some thoughts!