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3 0 G R A P H I C S P R O • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M S hops and installers looking to enhance their skills and level of ser- vice specific to vehicle wraps have a wealth of resources available to them. Film manufacturers offer training programs across the coun- try, including classroom-style training programs for vehicle wraps and color change films. Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions' training team shared five tips they thought were the most helpful. Proper Prep: Never underestimate this first step in installing vehicle graphics – properly cleaning and prepping the vehicle sur- face. Even if your customer delivers their car newly washed, you should still give it a once-over to verify that all the surfaces to be wrapped are clean. e most commonly missed areas are the undersides of the bum- pers, the sides of the car, door edges, seals, and other areas that are not readily visible. Even if the vehicle passes the white-glove test, you may want to do an IPA wipe-down to remove any remaining wax or sealant. Breakdown: How much of a breakdown you do beyond mirrors and door handles should be determined in a discussion with your customer. If you are going to break down the vehicle completely, you should be charging for a premium wrap. You don't need to remove bumpers, doors, and headliners for most installations. But make sure the customer understands that. Conversely, if your customer is ada- mant about wrapping their white car in a dark color, you should explain why it's going to cost more to wrap deeper into the door jambs and under the hood and trunk lid to prevent the white paint from showing. Inlays: In years past, it was considered better to have no seams or inlays in the wrap. With today's high-quality materials and better tools, a trained installer can hide seams in the body lines so they aren't noticeable. Using inlays will reduce installation time and prevent product failure resulting from overstretching the film. Plus, many of today's vehicles have complex curves and sections that can't be effectively wrapped without inlays. Material familiarity: Most shops tend to be loyal to one brand, but that one brand may not always have the color or specialized film your customer wants. So, it's a good policy to become familiar with different brands, their sales and technical reps, and their prod- ucts. Chances are, you'll have a question or need support at some point. At a minimum, if you're using a product that you're unfamiliar with, read the installation instructions. Installation wrap-up: Your process should include a careful post-install inspection and selective post-heating. When the material is applied to a complex curved edge or an area that was formed outside the original shape of the roll of material, it absolutely needs to be post-heated. is will trick the material into retaining the shape it was formed into, preventing it from moving back to its original shape when the ambient air temperature changes. When time and weather permits, have a vehicle sit outside in the sun to see if any edges or seams appear. GP B Y R Y A N A L L E N , A V E R Y D E N N I S O N G R A P H I C S S O L U T I O N S 1 Vehicle Wrap Installation Tips Top 5 2 3 4 5 Utilize classroom-style training programs for vehicle wraps and color change films. Here, master installer Justin Pate, with The Wrap Institute, instructs a class on Supreme Wrapping Film installation. (All images courtesy Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions) Justin Pate with The Wrap Institute demonstrates how to work with Supreme Wrapping Film around a complex curved edge. Wrapping a white car with a darker or bright color film requires more film for door jams, under the hood, and other areas so that the white paint will not be visible. Justin Pate demonstrates the proper technique for trimming film under the hood.