3 minute read
How Color Change is Turning Into a PPF World The Rise and Possible Fall of Color Change Wraps
By Matthew Wolynski
ehicle color change has been a big thing to hit our industry from its infancy. It is something that many people enjoy due to the personal satisfaction of a complete color change, quite literally. Who doesn’t love working on people’s prized “toys”? Every kid dreams of working on these cars we had posters of as children.
When I started in this industry with my old company, we began with blackout packages and minor modifications. It quickly turned into full wraps and fun custom designs. But full wraps have changed. When we first saw them, they had more seams and were not as clean as they are now. Today, we see perfectly installed products with little to no lift lines or perfect inlays that make these wraps look like paint. My entire career has been dedicated to making a near-flawless product when finished. We are all human, though we learn by messing things up, especially with door jambs. I remember when it was considered
“over-wrapping.” And I will tell you my first door jamb on a Hyundai Genesis did not go well in 3M gloss metallic blue. We overstretched, overheated, and just attacked it in the wrong manner. But a month later, we saw it lifting. This was how we learned by messing up.
Today, I feel bad because experienced installers constantly hate on or despise these less skilled individuals. We all need to start somewhere. The industry is at a turning point.
With PPF films now making “color change” films, it will start changing. Now, I do think this will be a tough transition for many. The products have gotten significantly more expensive. It’s harder to cut making corners a bit more challenging. Is this good? Is it bad? Only time will tell.
With these changes come new doors to be opened by the real, true professionals. We can go back to charging a premium for premium work. Does it mean they will pay? Maybe not, but those are not your customers anymore.
I encourage people to look into more training options. With all these companies producing beautiful products, we have to learn how to teach, and how to pass on information, lessons, and business advice. With my upcoming training programs in Vehicle Color Change and PPF and Fleet applications, I plan on passing on that knowledge. I plan on helping the industry reach new heights. Stay tuned for more on my social accounts at @tallestwrapperalive. And cheers to all the trainers doing a great job teaching others. We appreciate all of you and wish you nothing but success. Keep setting that bar high and striving to show others what they can achieve!
