Benefits of wrapping your car instead of painting! 

When you want to change the appearance of your car, you can either choose to wrap or paint it. Whichever the case, both options allow you to give your car a new look. However, there are some notable differences between vinyl wrapping and painting a car. But more on that later.

 In this article, we’ll look at some of the benefits you’ll get from wrapping the car as opposed to painting it. Moreover, these benefits make vinyl wrapping the perfect option for fleet managers and car owners who want to save money or create a unique design for their vehicles compared to painting. 

What is car vinyl wrapping? 

A car wrap is a large vinyl decal/ graphic that covers the car’s exterior. The wrap can either come with specialty graphics or resemble paint, depending on your design. 

Originally, car wraps were only used for advertisement purposes. For instance, most companies wrap their fleets to add custom logos to the exterior of their cars. However, individual car owners are now using car wraps to avoid the cost of repainting their cars. 

Vinyl wrapping is usually done in 3 phases; designing, casting the design into a sheet, and vinyl wrapping. In addition, car wraps are available in various sizes, with some made to cover a part of the car while others are designed to wrap the entire vehicle.

Not to forget that imaging companies usually make these wraps using vinyl by printing custom designs, graphics, and colors onto the material to match the customer’s needs.

More importantly, the vinyl wraps usually have an adhesive backing that attaches it to the vehicle and a laminated coat on the surface to protect the vinyl. 

Benefits of Car vinyl wraps 

As you consider the pros and cons of car wrap Vs paint, you’ll discover that vinyl wrapping provides many benefits over painting. Some of these benefits include; 

Vinyl wraps cost less 

In general, the average cost of paint can range from $3000 to $10,000, while a high-quality car wrap can cost somewhere between $2500 and $5000. Therefore, a vinyl wrap will help you change the appearance of your car at a lower price than what you would normally pay for a premium paint job. 

And as you can see, a good paint job costs more than 2X the cost of a professional car wrap. For that reason, many companies with fleets prefer car wraps over paint as they help them save money while providing an attractive look that meets or exceeds a top-tier paint job.

At the same time, car wraps are easier and cheaper to maintain, leading to lower maintenance costs in the long run. 

Vinyl wraps last longer

Although high-end paint jobs can last for a while, low-end paint jobs only last for a couple of years. For instance, a cheap paint job usually starts to fade and chip in just 2 years. Moreover, even the best paint jobs are susceptible to damage from minor fadings, scratches, inclement weather, and other environmental elements. 

In comparison, car wraps are usually made from durable vinyl that can last up to 10 years, and provide greater protection from scratches and other environmental damages. Plus, you can choose car wraps with UV-resistant coating to prevent their colors from fading for several years. 

Vinyl wraps install faster

New car paint can take weeks to complete as you wait for the paint to dry between each coat. Unfortunately, this can be quite inconvenient for car owners or even lead to a loss of revenue for firms that need their fleet on the road. 

On the bright side, car wrapping only takes a few days, meaning your car will be back on the road in no time. Some imaging companies can even print out the desired wrap and get it installed in your car in less than a day. 

More designs with wrapping 

Another notable benefit of car wraps is that they offer car owners a wider range of design and color options than car paint. So, if you don’t love the color of your car, you can easily choose from the many different designs and color options of vinyl wraps available.

More notably, vehicle wraps allow you to achieve holographic effects and details that are extremely difficult to manage with auto paint. 

Vinyl wraps may help resale value

Quality car wraps can help to keep the value of your car higher than auto paint will when it’s time to resell the car. Besides, most buyers consider a car whose original manufacturer’s paint is in good condition to be very valuable.

However, if you drive the car around with a car wrap, its paint will inevitably get chipped or scratched. Not to forget that it will fade or wear down due to exposure to the sun and various weather elements, thus reducing its resale value. 

Moreover, if you want to change the appearance of your car while keeping its original paint job, a car wrap is the perfect paint alternative. This will allow you to retain the vehicle’s original paint job and offer a protective cover over it. 

Vinyl wraps are easy and safe to remove

Car paint can be very difficult to remove. In most cases, you have to remove the paint manually through a sanding device to offer a coat of paint. Alternatively, you can opt for chemical or mechanical paint removal solutions if the manual option isn’t ideal.

Whichever the case, mechanical and chemical paint removal can damage the car, while manual paint removal requires a lot of hard work. 

In contrast, removing car wrap is incredibly easy since it doesn’t involve any intensive process. Instead, you only need to heat the decal with the best heat gun for car wrap and peel it off by hand before using an adhesive remover. 

Vinyl wraps are easier to maintain 

Car painting requires much more maintenance than car wraps, especially if you want to look good for a long time. For instance, you must wax the car to protect the paint and wash it regularly to protect the paint from contaminants.

Reapplying protective coats and regular washing costs lots of money and takes a lot of time. However, car wraps provide an attractive and affordable alternative to paint since they don’t need such intensive maintenance. 

More texture options 

Paint is only available in smooth texture, with any rough textures coming from contaminants trapped in the surface. This lack of textural options can be a huge downside for those who want to personalize their car.

Luckily, car wraps are available in different textures to give your car a certain feel when you run your hands over its surface. 

Conclusion 

If you were wondering whether you should wrap or paint your car, there are several benefits you’ll get from wrapping it instead of painting. However, if you’re still undecided, check out this article on Car wrap vs paint to make a more informed decision!