car wrapping brooklyn

Everything You Need To Know About Car Wrapping

Paint jobs are out and car vinyl wraps are in. They are a great way to make your car stand out in the crowd and send a message that turns heads. A car wrap is cheaper to install and remove than a paint job and can be customized to your heart’s delight while being more easily replaced than a coat of paint.

Make sure to check out chrome vehicle wraps. They give the car a luxury mirror finish that keeps its shine for months. Clear car wraps are available too and they serve to protect the paint job and can be installed in layers.

Give us a call at 718-629-6400 with all your car wrap questions or visit Diamond Auto Body at 1396 Utica Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, Monday–Friday 8AM–5PM, one of the best places to get your car wrapped in New York. 

Car Wrapping Brooklyn — What is Car Wrapping?

Car wrapping is a way to give your car a detailed paint job without any paint. A vinyl (plastic) sheet is pulled over the car and stretched until the desired surface of the car is covered. The sheet can be one solid color or have any colors, gradients, graphics, or decals you can think of.

You can specify which parts of the car you want or don’t want wrapped. That will affect the cost and the time needed to complete the wrapping. You can also make and send us your car wrap design as a computer image and we will estimate the cost and the completion date.

The pro is that car wraps are much more customizable than paint jobs and protect the paint job. The con is that car wraps require regular, special care and on average last shorter than a paint job.

How It Works

We measure the car’s surfaces you want to wrap and choose the plastic sheet of an appropriate size. The plastic sheet has a layer of adhesive. We work as a team to stretch the wrap over the car and ensure it covers all the desired surfaces of the car. We use tools to gently push out the air bubbles and make sure the wrap is in close contact with the car surface.

We then trim the wrap edges so they follow the car’s contours and cut out holes where needed. This can be done with a precision knife or a laser cutter during the measurement stage. Finally, we use a heat gun to activate the adhesive and make the wrap bond to the surface of the car.

Cost to Install Car Wraps & Remove

If you’re wondering “how much to get a car wrapped,” here’s the answer: on average, it costs $3,000-$5,000 to do car wrapping. Car wraps can also be applied in several layers, each of which bumps up the final cost but gives you much more customizability than a paint job.

The cost depends on how much of the car will be wrapped and whether you’ve included tricky spots, such as door jambs. Small surfaces, such as door handles, are the biggest challenge for wrapping so covering them in wrap will cost extra.

A car wrap normally costs around $500 to remove if it is freshly installed. After 4–5 years on the car, the wrapping sticks to the car’s surface and becomes costly to remove.

Minimum Car Wrap Requirements

The car’s surface must be clean and smooth and without dents, scratches, and corrosion. Any imperfections in the paint or any dirt, grime, dents, scratches, and corrosion will prevent the wrap from sticking to the surface. That means any residue or protectants must be removed too to make sure the wrap has a snug fit.

If you want the wrap to go inside nooks or around hardware, we need to clean those too, which might mean removing emblems, nozzles, and similar fixtures, and cleaning them as well. We typically let the car sit for 24 hours after washing to make sure it is thoroughly dry.

Colors

Car wrap colors can have glossy, matte, satin finishes and any color combination, graphic, or texture you can think of. We recommend combining colors that contrast each other, such as orange and blue, to make the car pop out. Consult an artist for suggestions or use the Canva Color Wheel to test color combinations until you find the one you like.

You don’t need to choose a color because you can go with clear wraps. They serve as an added protection for the paint job, especially when the car is exposed to the elements. Keep in mind exposure to harsh elements will shorten the wrap’s lifespan and that darker colors absorb more heat in sunny weather. That also means darker colors will fade much more under intense sun.

Decals

Small businesses and entrepreneurs can use car wrapping decals to turn their cars into marketing vehicles. Car wraps are perfect for installing an advertisement or displaying marketing or business information in a way that seamlessly fits the car’s purpose.

Please make sure you are not violating copyright and have the right to use the images and graphics you want as decals.

Care

Any acidic substance (bird droppings) or gunk (tree sap, splattered bugs) must be removed from the wrap right away but don’t use any kind of harsh detergent because it may damage the wrap. There are special washing products that are designed for car wraps. They should be applied at least once a week and always by hand. Avoid power washing or using an automatic wash because that may peel or strip the wrap. Avoid washing, touching, or wiping the surface when it’s hot so you don’t damage it. Avoid scrubbing the surface and use only soft cloths, such as microfiber, on the wrap. Stains should be removed as soon as possible with rubbing alcohol before rinsing the spot with cold water. If you can’t remove the stain, test stronger cleaning products on hidden parts of the wrap to see if the product will damage the wrap.