Reach for profit
All the many bright, colourful, and creative areas in our wide-ranging industry, for me, nothing quite beats a quality vehicle wrap. Be it a fleet of vehicles for a major high street brand, or decoration on a high-powered motor-sports car, the time and creativity that goes into these projects is incredibly admirable.
Admittedly, some applications may attract more interest than others—see my motor-sport example above—one key trend that runs throughout this sector is quality of appearance. Whether you are zooming around an F1 track or driving up and down the motorway, vehicle wrap vinyl needs to stand the test of time.
So, taking this into account, what sort of materials should those in this sector be looking at to ensure not only a quality look and finish, but also a durable and robust application that will stand up to the elements?
Key industry player Metamark has determined that in order for wrapping to grow and meet its full potential, a material that overcame the limitations of traditional wrapping vinyl would be needed. MetaWrap MD-X, a next-generation wrapping film, was to be the ultimate result of an engineering effort that took in a fundament review of established formulations and the introduction of novel manufacturing processes.
“MetaWrap MD-X is part of Metamark’s MD-Class portfolio of digital media and so it prints brilliantly with all modern digital ink species. It distinguishes itself in other ways from legacy wrapping materials too,” says Metamark’s sales director Ian Simister. He continues: “The film is extremely tolerant of repositioning and elongation and its handling characteristics are unchanged when used with its mechanically matched laminate. Advanced performance and application ease come at a price of course but according to Metamark, it’s a very attractive one that changes the whole economic basis of wrapping.”
“Wrapping as an art has liberated livery design,” says Metamark’s sales director Ian Simister. Pictured: A livery created by Elite Signs and Graphics using Metamark MD-X
Among the many very highly regarded exponents of wrapping who now turn to MetaWrap MD-X is Elite Signs and Graphics based in Bridgend, Wales. Simon James and the Elite team have been using this ‘next generation’ wrapping film to excellent effect.
Simister continues: “Wrapping as an art has liberated livery design. Material performance and application skills once imposed an unwritten schedule of limitations that confined type within panel boundaries and kept detail away from anything looking even vaguely like a compound curve. Now though, the whole vehicle is a canvas and visual impact has scaled accordingly.”
Using MetaWrap MD-X, Elite Signs has produced a notable livery for one of its regular clients—1st Class Weddings. Starting with nothing more than a logo, the team at Elite transformed the sense of its design into a striking interpretation that combines elements of a partial wrap, contour-cut rather than printed, and which capitalises on MD-X and its conformability to drape the design elements into and onto the van.
“The design sweeps the limitations of traditional livery design away and achieves more memorable impact than a panel-bound assembly of text and a phone number could ever hope to manage. The great thing is, it only begins to hint at the possibilities. Conventional wisdom though is ‘you have to stop somewhere’,” concludes Simister.
“Not if you’re working with MD-X and and really flexing your design skills,” contends Elite’s James.
Popular option
Grafityp is another key company that has firmly established itself as a supplier of quality and effective materials for vehicle wrapping. Debbie Astle, marketing manager of the company’s UK business, says the market is as popular as ever and the firm is seeing demand for its solutions increase year-on-year.
“There are many various options to provide individuals, companies and fleet services with something unique in full or part wraps, striping and interior or exterior detailing,” Astle says, adding: “Being able to colour change vehicles has never been easier—it’s perfect for fleet cars and vans to be wrapped in company colours if desired or for anyone who just fancies a change.
Grafityp’s range of wrapping films are suited to many applications, including large-format jobs such as this lorry wrap
“Printed wraps, when introduced some 15 -20 years ago, spread like wildfire; the advancement in films on offer expanded, existing products evolved for perfect results, and new additions offer even greater choice.
Printed wraps, when introduced some 15-20 years ago, spread like wildfire; the advancement in films on offer expanded, existing products evolved for perfect results”
“While all this was happening in the world of vinyl, production printers and inks were also advancing—the combination of the two resulted in even higher quality output. Add to that the special effect films and you will see that there has never been so much on offer before.”
Astle leads on from this to pick out some of the products on offer from Grafityp, including the GrafiWrap collection of automotive and decorative wrap films, which she says is one of the largest ranges in the world.
Grafityp says its GrafiWrap selection of films is one of the largest in
the world and features options such as carbon fibre and colour change
films
“There are certainly plenty of options with carbon fibre and colour change films; metallic and colourwave options; brushed metal, cast satin and matt metallics, even a stardust series,” Astle says.
Grafityp also offers the Deco range of films, which includes options like leather finishes, flock velvet, and a variety of other designs. Astle adds: “All of these, as well as printable films, allow complete personalisation of a wrap and a range of laminates for protection.”
Grafityp’s range of materials is constantly expanding, with the company having recently launched the ‘Cast Premium Brushed Metal’ series and ‘Cast Metallic’ series in a range of modern colours. The firm also now offers ‘Cast Exclusive’ with a pearl high gloss in 22 colours or in pearl silk crystal white, ivory white, or white silver metallic. In addition, ‘Stone Chip Protection’ films are now available in gloss, matt, and stardust, and form an invisible shield on a vehicle to prevent stone chips and scratches.
Constant new developments
Another company established in this sector of the industry is Ritrama UK, which has a host of solutions on offer. Lee Ward, sales director at the firm, describes the current vehicle wrapping market as ‘ever-changing’, with new products helping its ongoing development.
Ritrama UK’s strategy is to constantly develop new products in order to cater for demand in what it views as an ever-changing market
Ward says: “Constant new developments are enabling new colours and textures to be introduced almost on a monthly basis, which allows us to offer our distributors a large range of products that can meet the expectations.
“Both full and partial wraps are a fantastic way for companies to get their brand noticed. There are more and more companies specialising in vehicle wrapping, which is giving end-users access to some really creative and interesting designs at prices that allow even single vehicle organisations to afford a more eye-catching vehicle graphics compared to traditional name and logo sign-writing.”
Casting an eye over the many products Ritrama has on offer, Ward picks out the RI-Jet 50 printable wrap product, which was recently upgraded to offer greater output on all major print platforms, including latex. Also new is a superclear cast overlaminating film, which Ward says gives ‘incredible’ depth of colour, gloss levels, and physical protection compared to a standard gloss clear overlaminating film.
Looking further ahead, Ward highlights the upcoming release of the company’s Airflow release system onto polymeric films in an effort to meet market demand. He explains: “Cast vinyl has to be the material of choice for full vehicle wraps, especially on those more difficult curved surfaces, but the use of polymeric films should also be considered on flat or slightly curved surfaces where long term life is still required. The use of a, suitable but slightly lower cost, material can significantly increase a wrapper’s margins without compromising performance.
“We are introducing our Airflow release system onto the polymeric vehicle wrap films so ease of application is the same as the traditional cast products. It is good remembering that all RI-WRAP films are supplied with the Airflow technology to ensure perfect results.”
Fastest growing market
Elsewhere, 3M has also established itself as a leading provider of vehicle wrap materials, supplying companies around the world with solutions. Georgie Winston-Bray, marketing executive at 3M Commercial Graphics, only sees further development in this market, anticipating the introduction of even more products from manufacturers.
3M recently expanded its Envision range with the introduction of Envision Print Film 48C, an intermediate vehicle wrapping film that incorporates the firm’s Controltac and Comply adhesive technologies
Winston-Bray comments: “The vehicle wrapping market remains the fastest growing form of out-of-home advertising, delivering maximum visibility and impact for businesses and brands as well as personalisation for owners of private vehicles. The market is still far from saturated, with a huge potential existing within both the commercial and private vehicle sectors for the opportunity to maximise unlimited levels of creativity, image enhancement and customisation, whilst increasing a vehicle’s trade-in value when it is sold on due to the protection that vehicle wrapping films provide for expensive bodywork.”
The vehicle wrapping market remains the fastest growing form of out-of-home advertising, delivering maximum visibility and impact for businesses and brands ”
Winston-Bray also points out quite rightly that this market will continue to develop through the introduction of increasingly more ingenious vehicle wrapping films and complementary digital printing and ink technologies—in addition to the advanced application and technical support facilities that suppliers like 3M are now providing.
“A key factor in this growth pattern is the availability of fully tested and warranted materials from established and reliable brands that have all but eliminated the common causes of graphics failure,” says Winston-Bray, who adds: “Typically, these have included shrinking, cracking and tearing of the film, lifting around rivets, an inability to adhere firmly to irregular and difficult to apply surfaces and unsightly wrinkles and bubbles.”
With this in mind, Winston-Bray recommends that those in this sector utilise the network of 3M-trained and regularly reassessed authorised vehicle wrapping outlets (AVW)—part of the firm’s plan to establish a 3M AVW outlet in every UK postcode territory.
The latest vehicle wrapping innovation from 3M is the new 3M Wrap Film Series 1380; this is designed to provide high conformability and is ideal for deeply recessed vehicle profiles. Available in 14 colours, the film incorporates 3M Controltac and Comply adhesive technologies and a transparent top coat that provides added protection against environmental degradation and scratches whilst enhancing the overall appearance of the finished wrap.
3M has also expanded its Envision range with the introduction of the Envision Print Film 48C intermediate vehicle wrapping film. This combines ease of application and purposeful removal with high print quality—as well as providing a high-tensile strength capability that resists tearing of the film during application. The film also incorporates 3M Controltac and Comply adhesive technologies. The latter enables repositioning of the film until perfect registration with the substrate is achieved through the special non-visible air-release channels, which ensure a smooth and bubble-free application.
O Factoid: The fastest time for a team to fully wrap a car is 39 minutes, 26.7 seconds. The record was set by a team from 3M Endorsed Vehicle Graphics in Krakow, Poland, in May 2015. O
So with all that information under your belt, you can now be under no illusion as to the many opportunities that are available in the vehicle wrapping sector, and the materials you can use to take advantage of them. However, what may not be so clear is, first, how to access this work and, secondly, how to build up a strong base of returning customers to secure success in this competitive sector.
By using quality wrapping films, such as those outlined here, both companies and their customers can be assured that they are dealing with materials that will offer a quality end result. Opting for cheaper products may save money in the short-term, but in a market that is so competitive, it is critical to stand out, and the use of quality products will help you and your work do just that.
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