top tips for vehicle wraps

These tips are relevant to most cast ‘bubble-free’ film applied to vehicles, your best assurance that you get success first time!

1/ CLEAN: Make sure you thoroughly clean all areas, finishing with IPA, especially in channels and corrugations or areas where the graphic may be tucked or wrapped. The surface should be completely dry. This is especially important on new vehicles.

2/ PRESSURE: It may be bubble-free, but application still requires a lot of squeegee pressure to ensure the adhesive makes a firm bond.

3/ HEAT: Use enough heat to soften the film when stretching it around complex curves. You may wish to use a primer, like Primer 94, at the outer edges of tricky concave channels to guarantee success (not required with 3M IJ380v3 and DPF6000X)

4/ POST HEAT: Once the film is heated into a channel, it needs to be post-heated to over 120 degrees to re-cast it to its new shape. Slowly move your heat gun across the stretched film surface - this is about 20-30mm every 2-3 seconds.

5/ MORE PRESSURE: Go back over the graphic with your squeegee in the channels and curves to ensure an excellent bond. Also squeegee the graphic edges, overlaps and seams using firm pressure.

6/ ALLOW TO HARDEN: After application, the adhesive must be allowed to harden for several hours. If it is quite cold in your workshop, it may take several days to fully harden. If you apply the film then immediately send it out into the scorching sun before the adhesive has reached a good bond level, the sun with soften it again and it will pop back. If the graphic must be put into service straight away we recommend carefully re-squeegeeing it with greater pressure. Using your heat gun will also increase adhesion.

7/ TIPS ON CUTTING: If the above instructions are followed, you do not need to cut the film as post heating reduces the film constructions internal stress. You will need to cut the film in curves/corrugations however if a calendered film was used. But remember, Cast lasts!