They Called it a Revolution

Does technology or demand dictate change?

By Industry Expert, Paul Roba

ehicle wrapping for purposes of this article discussion, is primarily related to the use of adhesive-backed films used to cover cars, vans, boats, trucks, and motorcycles. The two major segments of vehicle wraps are, 1) graphic wraps - the vehicle is covered in printed images for advertising, brand recognition and promotion, or bespoke design, and 2) colored film wraps – where vehicle color can be temporarily changed with single or multiple colors for bespoke purposes.

Although these two segments of wrapping do overlap, for discussion purposes they are considered separately because of the differing expectations associated with the end product and quality.

True, customers always have an expectation for high quality in both instances, however, they are aware that a graphic wrap will often have seams or even small blemishes. But because of the distraction to the eye because of the design or message in the graphics, seams or blemishes are much less visible. Graphics are tucked and wrapped around edges, but door jambs, sometimes handles and mirrors, and other detail areas are not typically wrapped because minimal vehicle parts are removed.

Although many wrapping techniques are similar between graphic and color change wraps, expectations on color change wraps are much higher. There are minimal seams permitted in a color change wrap, and if one is needed it must be made imperceptible to the customer. In addition, in many cases, the door jambs and other areas with visible body color are completely wrapped. Color change wraps reflect the style of the customer as well as protect the underlying paint, so the customer expects a flawless finished look and no damage to the vehicle’s surface when removed.

Wrapping was a revolution! However, my perspective is that the two segments underwent different revolutions and many similar evolution(s).

In order to clarify my viewpoint regarding these wrap segments, let’s start with some definitions from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary of “revolution” and “evolution”.

Revolution: a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something: a change of paradigm: a changeover in use or preference especially in technology

Evolution: a process of change in a certain direction: a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state

In my interpretation of the definitions, revolution is a significant change from the status quo, whereas evolution would be subtle improvements to the process. The focus of this article is the “revolutions” of the graphic and color change wrap segments.

Graphic Wraps

For years, printers have been supplying screenprinted images for graphic installations. These images were primarily used to advertise large brands due to the high costs of creating four-color low-resolution images. Because of the production costs, most times there were a high number of images printed for a specific brand, company, or product. The images were printed on aggressive self-adhesive vinyl and applied to the sides of tractor-trailers for the most part.

Another method of branding for graphics was the use of colored vinyl. These vinyls would be cut into letters, stripes, or shapes and applied to the sides of trucks, trailers, and vans.

A couple of revolutionary product developments occurred in this segment to create a burgeoning market for short-run, lowercost, one-off, easier application graphics. These developments were focused on the printing technology used to create the images and adhesive engineering used in graphic applications.

The printing revolution occurred when wide-format inkjet printing was developed. Some early printers used water-based inks which required special coatings or products to absorb the inks, and had limited durability. Another improvement was electrostatic transfer printing which improved durability but required printing on paper, and then heat transferring the image to the vinyl which created additional manufacturing steps and was expensive.

The revolutionary improvements in printing and ink processes were developed by companies like Durst®, Epson®, HP®, and Canon® which developed delivery mechanisms and solvent and eco-solvent inks for use on high-speed printers. The inks could print on almost anything, eliminating the need for expensive treatments/ topcoats and time-consuming extra steps like transfers.

The adhesive engineering revolution happened with two important developments, adhesive standoff/offset mechanisms that allow the easy sliding and repositioning of graphics, and air egress channels to eliminate bubbles. 3M® pioneered standoff technology with Controltac™ glass bead, and then air egress technologies were developed by 3M and Comply™ plus Avery Dennison® and Easy Apply™.

The combination of these two transformational developments created new opportunities for short-run graphic imaging and graphic wrapping.

Color Change Wraps

Color change wraps have been around for many years. In the beginning, Kay Graphics identified a way to meet the needs of taxi companies to comply with governmental color standards, without having to paint the vehicles. Kay utilized adhesive-backed premium cast vinyl. A new use for cast vinyl was created. Many applicators followed the trend by laminating clear protective films to the top of standard-colored vinyl and applying the vinyl using a wet application method. The process was costly and messy.

Although these first wraps were somewhat revolutionary, it wasn’t until film manufacturers like 3M and Avery Dennison created new products to address installation concerns, removal issues, and durability.

Air egress and repositionable adhesives as mentioned in the graphic wrap discussion above are one part of the color change revolution. These technologies were employed in improving 2mil vinyl installation, and they were also critical to the success of color change wrapping.

The second part of the color change wrap revolution was the engineering of dual-cast films. This development made it possible for the vinyl manufacturers to fuse a protective clear layer on top of the colored vinyl. Such a transformation in the manufacturing process eliminated downstream lamination and labor costs, improved the vibrancy and depth of the image of the film colors, and helped speed up the application process.

Color change wraps became a business in a box because one didn’t need much more than a knife, squeegee, and cleaning tools to wrap a car. These changes to the film and the adhesive created an opportunity for anyone to become their own boss.

Conclusion

As you can see there was one shared revolution for color change and graphic wraps. The development of air egress, slideable, and repositionable adhesive systems drove step- change improvements for application in both segments. These advances also impacted many other product segments but truly propelled wrapping into the mega-market it has become. Yet each segment of wrapping needed additional upheaval and product advances to take it to the next level, and open up opportunities for installers, print service providers, and ultimately end users.

Paul Roba

Paul Roba is a graphics and wrap industry veteran of over 35 years. He was involved with the early design, roll out, and training programs of wrap films.