Head-turning trade

There will always be more vehicles out there than there are wraps, so saturation in that sense is not a likely outcome of the growing interest in this medium. Whether people become over-exposed to wraps is perhaps another facet of the same line of enquiry. I feel there is just so much creative potential with wraps that unique ideas and applications will just keep coming. Where opinion leaders innovate in a design sense, others will follow and so the market will grow. There is no doubt at all that wraps, even though they have been around for a while, still turn heads, and that is something desired of any vehicle livery.

I do not think there is a danger of the market becoming saturated on the supply side either. Wrapping is a hands-on skill that has to be learned and there is a finite number of companies that can do it well. Demand is sure to see the number grow, but unless someone invents a way of wrapping at the touch of a button, it will always have that element of relative exclusivity about it.

In terms of getting off the ground in wrap-ping, it is a question of getting the miles under one’s wheels and learning the craft. Practically any printer will produce output that can be used for wrapping, some better than others, and then there is the media itself to consider. It has to print well, it has to conform and it has to adhere reliably. If you try to use media that is not well suited, the learning curve will be vertical, results next to useless, and the whole experience an exasperating one. We have put a lot of effort at Metamark into formulating a specialist wrapping film we know as MD-X. It has all the qualities needed of a wrapping film and would suit both the experienced wrapper and those taking first steps.

Learn your craft

Any market can eventually become over-saturated, but wrapping still has a long way to go. How many vehicles do you still see that are not wrapped; how many trains, planes, boats, and bikes? Knowing your market and selling the wrapping concept is important, whilst keeping up with new trends and being good at what you do all bode well for success. Companies will always want to advertise, and having vehicles wrapped without too much downtime, as well as being able to change them more often, is a plus.

The old saying, ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’ has never been more true. There are so many great decorative films around now too such as those in the GrafiWrap Auto FX range, which can look great on any vehicle. Whether it is a full body wrap in a velvet finish or simply wing mirrors in carbon fibre films, it is easy to give any vehicle individuality.

Having established that there is business to be had, sound premises with a clean wrapping bay, at a suitable height, and where you can maintain a constant temperature suitable for wrapping, needs to be obtained. Wrapping staff need to be trained to the highest standard possible, as there are some superb wrappers out there and offering shoddy work will only come back to bite you.

Grafityp have offered wrap training now for over twelve years and although the majority of candidates pass with flying colours, if someone simply does not make the grade, they will not take away a certificate but will be invited to try again. Training involves not only the application of wraps, but design, tools required, tips, tricks and pitfalls, and knowing the media you are working with. If offering printed wraps, a good printer, such as a Roland eco-solvent, is an essential tool that should be housed in a clean environment to avoid contamination. Grafityp is an approved Roland DG dealer and each printer or print and cut machine sold includes Roland and Grafityp training.

Join the club 

The vehicle wrapping market is now the fastest growing form of out-of-home (OOH) advertising, bringing maximum visibility and impact for businesses and brands at a truly cost-effective price, in comparison with conventional paint-based systems, through the use of specially engineered and fully warranted vinyl materials. The market is far from saturated, with a huge potential within both the commercial and private vehicle sectors, which provide the opportunity for unlimited levels of creativity, image enhancement, and customisation, whilst also dramatically increasing a vehicle’s trade-in value when it is sold on.

The market will continue to develop through the introduction of more specialist wrapping films and complementary digital printing technologies. It will also continue to prosper as a result of the efforts of major suppliers like 3M to enable access to a raft of training and technical support. This is either through a network of specialist authorised vehicle wrapping partners or by enabling sign and graphics companies to maximise the potential that exists in the vehicle wrapping market for expansion beyond core manufacturing activities.

A key factor to the success or otherwise of these options is the use of fully tested and warranted materials from established and reliable brands that will enable the avoidance of the common causes of graphics failure. Typically, these include shrinking, cracking, and tearing of the film, lifting around rivets, an inability to conform to irregular surfaces, and unsightly wrinkles and bubbles due to poor application procedures. The use of branded products and higher standards of film application, including more advanced adhesive technologies, have all but eliminated such problems.

There has also been a noticeable migration to more environmentally aware PVC-free vehicle wrapping films that have solved problems with incineration and pollution control during post-use disposal. An excellent example of such materials is the latest 3M Envision Print Wrap Film 480Cv3 that won best environmental substrate in the prestigious European Digital Press Awards 2013.

A useful source of information on vehicle wrapping techniques and materials can be found at www.wrapyourcurves.co.uk.

Diversify into decorative

Far from being over-saturated, we see wrapping as an exciting growth opportunity for all graphic producers.

Product innovation from leading brands such as 3M, Avery, and Arlon is pushing wrapping to the forefront of customer thinking. We are introducing new products to the market all the time, as well as expanding our own ImagePerfect range. We currently offer the largest selection of coloured wrap films (over 170 colours), finishes, and special effects, optimised for many different applications. Coupled with next-day media delivery, customers can respond instantly to their clients’ requirements.

There is always space for service providers that are creative and deliver a quality finish. It is still a specialised area and requires expert training in preparation and application to produce the best results. Spandex offers regular vehicle wrap trainings that have proven to be very popular amongst our customers.

To date, wrapping has been dominated by vehicle wraps, but there is an untapped market for decorative and protective vehicle wrapping. Plain or patterned wraps are gaining momentum with private vehicle owners; matte white and black are popular, and demand is growing for stand-out metallics, such as gunmetal and carbon. While an ‘on-trend’ paint colour will make a car difficult to sell on, a wrap allows a customer to buy the vehicle in a classic colour and customise it. It is an affordable way to add visual impact to the car.

Wrapping can maximise resale value too; a full wrap protects the original paintwork against scuffs and chips, and there is little to no residue when the film is removed—the underlying paintwork is pristine.

We are only scratching the surface of wrapping for non-vehicle applications too. With contemporary vinyl products such as 3M’s Dinoc, you can ‘wrap’ or cover virtually any inanimate object: furniture, domestic fittings, walls, floors, and so on. Therefore, any graphic producer with expertise in vehicle wrapping is perfectly positioned to create a profitable revenue stream in graphics for commercial and domestic interiors.