How To VEHICLE GRAPHICS
By JIM HINGST
Angle the squeegee like a snow plow.
helps push (not pull or drag) the air underneath the film away from the point of contact and prevent the air from being trapped as a bubble.
While you can remove all of the release liner from a graphics panel, if the film starts to pre-adhere, you can gradually remove the release liner exposing
the adhesive. How you handle the film depends on your skill level and the handling characteristics of the film. Applying a vehicle wrap typically involves stretching the film into concave indentations as well as shrinking the film over convex surfaces. When applying vinyl to a convex surface, it is not unusual for the material to bunch up. Heating the film with an industrial heat gun will cause the vinyl to shrink wrap onto the vehicle substrate. As the film shrinks and tightens up, any of the excess material (which could likely develop into wrinkles) magically vanishes. As best you can, try to apply the vinyl film in a relaxed state, limiting the amount that you stretch the graphics panel. If you stretch the film into an indentation, you reduce the thickness of the film and the thickness of the adhesive. If you stretch a film by 200 percent, you reduce the thickness of a 2-mil cast vinyl to 1-mil.You also reduce the thickness of 1-mil of adhesive to 1/2-mil. As you burnish the vinyl into the indentation around the wheel well, take short strokes, gradually working the film into the crease. As you do this, allow a space in the indentation for the air to escape as you put the finishing touches on your work. In working the film around irregular surfaces, using a felt squeegee can ensure smoother applications. Felt squeegees, which come in a variety of shapes and densities, are flexible enough to conform to compound curves that you often encounter when doing a vehicle wrap. Trimming Some vinyl film manufacturers recommend that you trim the graphic flush with the edges of the vehicle. Others believe that wrapping the film around the edges of a door, hood, or truck can result in lifting edges. When trimming the film, use a sharp knife and extra care so you only cut through the vinyl without cutting into the paint of the vehicle. Cutting too deeply into the painted vehicle surface can result in rust developing.
14
Sign Builder Illustrated
November 2019
signshop.com