Make it a Habit

Repairing a wrap that was originally done by your company is much easier if you have first developed some good habits that are implemented with every wrap. These habits will help ensure a professional repair with the least amount of headaches for your company.

 

Over the years, we have discovered a few “go-to” media that we use for every wrap. We have an optically clear laminate and a perforated window film we always use, a main wrap material and a wrap material for jobs with extra deep concaves or compound curves. Using the same materials consistently makes it easier to match up graphics on a repair. If you tend to sample a lot of different materials, or if you incorporate a lot of specialty films, be sure that make note of the specific material used on the customer’s paperwork.

 

Printing out a scaled sample print for the customer to sign-off on should be done on every wrap. It’s an easy way for the customer to get a good idea of the finished project and to see the final colors and approve them. 

 

When you print your graphics, it’s also helpful to print out the job information on the sample print. We use Roland VersaWorks RIP software. Within this program the job information is found under the Mark tab. Under Job Property Label, click on Print Job Properties. Here you can choose what information you want printed out including the job settings, file format and notes. 

 

If a section of a wrap needs to be reprinted and you’re not sure of the material or settings originally used, the sample print and the job properties print-out should get you on the right track. This scaled sample should also be kept with the customer’s paperwork and can be referenced on future orders or repairs.

 

Good note-taking, accurate measurements on the original wrap and a well-organized file are also essential. Be sure your files are backed up and invest in a file search program to make it easier to find past files.

 

Step-By-Step Wrap Repair

Here’s a step-by-step look at how we repaired the damaged panel on the Kat Country van wrap:

 

1) Keep a sample print of the original wrap, along with a print out of the job properties, on-file with the customer’s paperwork to reference on future orders.

2) A car sideswiped the van, scraping off some of the graphics, but not denting the van. The area that was damaged was relatively small, but we wanted to create as few seams as possible, so we chose to reprint the graphics along existing seams or body breaks. There was an existing seam on the left, a window trimmed out at the top and a door seam to the right of the damaged area. This area was cropped in the original print file and reprinted, leaving an extra few inches all around for overlap and trimming.   3) A stock installation kit and the new graphics panel are all you need. Be sure you have a propane torch or heat gun and a good adhesive remover and alcohol to prep the vehicle.

4) Before removal, tape up the new panel and double check your overlaps. Be sure the colors and sizing are all matching up. 5) Put small pieces of tape along the edges of the new graphic panel. This will help you see where the old graphics need to be trimmed out. Remove the new graphic panel.

6) Using the tape lines for reference, start removing the old graphics along the existing seams. If you do need to trim out the section on the vehicle, create a straight line to trim to with a piece of tape. Make sure you use a sharp blade and a light touch when trimming on a vehicle.

7) Once the old graphics are removed and the adhesive has been cleaned off, the new graphics can be lined up to the tape marks, checked and then taped into place.

8) Applying the graphics with the curve of the vehicle is the easiest way to approach the installation. In this case we created a tape hinge a little above mid-point on the new panel and flip down the top section, cutting off the backing paper. The top section is then flipped up and squeegeed into place. Our tape is removed and the bottom section is then squeegeed into place. Breaking the graphic in half during installation, rather than just applying down from the top, will help ensure the graphics line up. Applying just from the top down often means the graphics stretch about an 1/8” to 1/4” depending on temperature and how the installer holds the graphics. When installing a section that needs to line-up to previously installed graphics, the hinge approach gives you more control.

9) Once the new section is applied, the graphics need to be trimmed out along the same existing seams or window/door if possible. Finish up with a good post-heat to set the graphics.   10) Using existing seams and having the project information and colors on-file made this patch job extremely easy. The colors and sizing were spot-on and the customer was happy with the results.