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Custom Vinyl Wrapping

Here at Apis Design we have years of experience in the art of wrap and wrap technology. We've wrapped everything from city buses, shipping containers, refrigerators, luxury sports cars and even entire boats. 

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What's the purpose of vinyl wrap?

I'm glad you asked! Vinyl wrap can add custom flair to almost any substrate. Not only are wraps completely customizable, they also add a weather resistant barrier over whatever surface applied. Wrap advertising or a vehicle wrap is known as the marketing practice of completely or partially covering (wrapping) a vehicle in a vinyl material, which may be for a color change, advertising or custom delivery. The result of this process is essentially a mobile billboard. Wrap advertising can be achieved by painting a vehicle's outer surface, but an increasingly ubiquitous practice in the 21st century involves the use of large vinyl sheets as "decals". The vinyl sheets can later be removed with relative ease, drastically reducing the costs associated with changing advertisements. While vehicles with large, flat surfaces (such as buses and light-rail carriages) are often used, automobiles can also serve as hosts for wrap advertising, despite consisting of more curved surfaces. Wrap advertising is also used in the magazine and publishing industries. One of the main reasons people prefer wraps to paint is that it’s much easier to take off. Often, changing the paint will require additional steps and expenses, which is not the case with wraps.

Vinyl car wraps are amazing for companies. The print on the films is great, and you can use it for various branding purposes. For example, you can put your company’s name on a wrap, your phone, and email address. On top of that, the process can easily be scaled, which is especially important if you have a fleet of vehicles.

A person can choose between 3 types of vinyl wraps:

  1. Colored vinyl wrapping is especially great for older vehicles. A company will place an opaque cover personalizing the car and instilling a new life. The process is usually cheaper than a simple paint respray. You can use colored vinyl wrapping to create styles like matte, or you can use it to change specific areas of the car’s body.

  2. Clear vinyl is the most common type of car wrapping. Although it is not as creating as colored vinyl wrapping, it is a good way to protect the original paint. With this protective cover, you can preserve the car’s surface, preventing potential chips and scratches.

  3. Companies usually go with advertising covers. These are custom-made wraps that usually have a company’s logo and name but can also include contact details and other artwork. The same kind of pattern can be placed on numerous vehicles helping you spread the message around.

While car wraps do offer some protection, they are not as great as paint treatments. Nevertheless, if you consider that they also freshen up your vehicle, they suddenly become a good investment. There are several factors you need to consider when calculating the cost of wrapping. Of course, the size of the car is the main thing. The type of cover, design, job complexity and wheel wrappingare other things to keep in mind.

Wrapping can also be a fun at home project! Again the possibilities are endless - xbox, car trim, car exterior, appliances, phone cases, computers, furniture, walls, ceilings, anything!

Well what are my options?

There are two types of vinyl most commonly used in the industry, Cast & Calendared.

Cast Vinyl

The term "cast" refers to the manufacturing process of this type of vinyl. Cast films are considered the industry premium. These films start in a liquid state with the ingredients blended together and then poured onto a casting sheet. The casting process produces a thin gauge film—usually 1- to 2-mil thick. By casting film on a sheet, the film stays in a more relaxed state, resulting in a durable, flexible, conformable and dimensionally stable film that retains color well. These films are ideal for complex surfaces such as vehicles and where a smooth finished look is expected.

Calendared Vinyl

Calendared vinyl film or sheeting is manufactured by mixing powdered PVC, liquid softener and coloring agent into a molten dough-like mixture. The mixture is then extruded through a die and pressed into an increasingly thin sheet using a series of hard pressure rollers, called calendering rolls. When the material reaches the rollers, it passes through a series of decreasing gaps, which in turn increases the temperature and uniformity of the mixture. After each pass, the film becomes thinner and wider until the material is formed into a thin sheet of vinyl. The vinyl is then cooled, wound, and later coated with adhesive. Calendared films are ideally for flat surfaces with minimal contour.

Other Kinds of Vinyl Wrap

  • Perforated Window Film: Allows one to look outside or through the vinyl film. 

  • Color Change Wraps: Change color based upon lighting and optical angle.

  • Paint Protection Films: Typically a clear or matte, vinyl laminate, that is applied to painted surfaces.

Note* We only print on Air Egress Vinyl Film, meaning there are microscopic holes in which air can escape which allows a smoother installation process i.e. no bubbles.

​All printed films are laminated with the manufacturers recommended laminate.

Where do I sign up?

Calendered Vinyl - Solid Color Options

Calendered Vinyl is great for job that have minimal curves.

Trailers, Refrigerators, Windows, etc..

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Cast Vinyl - Solid Color Options

Cast Vinyl is great for any job that has minimal or complex curves.

Cars, Boats, Airplanes, etc..

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