VEHICLE WRAP: Where part or all the paint surface is covered with adhesive vinyl, conforming to the shape of the panels. It can either be a printed car wrap or a solid colour car wrap.

FULL WRAP: When the entire painted surface of a car is wrapped.

HALF WRAP: When approximately half of the painted surface of a vehicle is wrapped utilising some of the vehicle paint to form a background to the design.

VINYL: This is a common term used for the material used in a vehicle wrap it can be printed or come as a solid colour. It has adhesive on the reverse side so it can stick to a vehicle surface.

CAST VINYL: Is the highest level of adhesive vinyl that can be stretched in all directions and is the only adhesive vinyl that should be used for vehicle wraps.

PRINTED VINYL: Is a vinyl that is made to be printed on, for vehicle wraps this must be a cast vinyl.

LATEX INK: This is the type of ink used in vehicle wraps. It uses a Latex carrier to take the ink to the vinyl, it then super-heats the printed vinyl which allows it to be laminated immediately and used for a car wrap. 

At Tradie Wraps we only use Latex ink for our vehicle wraps.

SOLVENT OR ECO-SOLVENT INK: These are a common type of ink used in vehicle wraps. They use a solvent-based ink which then needs to be “outgassed” before laminating.

OUTGASSING: is the process of hanging or standing a solvent (or eco-solvent) print for a period to allow the solvents to fall away from the print before laminating. This can take anywhere from 24 hours to several days to occur. Laminating a print before it has shed its solvents can cause a failure later as the solvents try to escape from the adhesive side of the print once installed.

LAMINATING: The process of putting a thin, clear film over a vinyl print to protect it from UV or other damage.

At Tradie Wraps every print is laminated with a product matched to the print vinyl.

COLOUR CHANGE WRAP: is a term used for a solid colour of wrapping Vinyl. Usually used to change the colour of the vehicle. There are hundreds of colours and textures available from different manufacturers.

COMPUTER CUT VINYL:  refers to the process where Vinyl is run through a plotter to cut individual letters or patterns. This is usually done with solid colours.

PRINT AND CUT: Refers to a printed vinyl that is then run through a plotter to cut individual letters or shapes. These can have different colours or shadings throughout them.

PLASTIC APPLICATOR SQUEEGEE: The main tool used to apply the wrap to the vehicle.

POST HEAT: The process where any stretched areas of the vinyl on the vehicle are heated to a particular temperature to re-memorise the vinyl so that it will stay in its stretched position. If not done correctly this is a major cause of wrap failure.

DEEP RECESS: An area of the vehicle that has a sharp inwards corner, which the vinyl must stretch into. Usually found on the side panels of vans where there is a shape moulded for either strength or possible window installation.

VINYL POPPING: A term used when the vinyl releases itself from the vehicle usually in a deep recess or area it has been stretched. The cause of vinyl popping can be overstretching, making the glue too sparse to hold to the panel, or there could be contaminates on the panel due to incorrect cleaning, or the vinyl has not been post-heated correctly in a stretched area.

HEAT GUN: is a tool used to warm the vinyl in order to stretch it as part of the application process. A heat gun is also used in the post heating process.

KNIFELESS TAPE: a 3M product used to eliminate the need to cut on a vehicle surface using a knife. The tape has a fine cord in it, and after the vinyl is placed over it, the cord can be pulled out which cuts the vinyl without using a knife. Knifeless tape can be used where vinyl overlaps or around windows, light and fittings.

AIR RELEASE: is a term used to describe a type of vinyl that has a pattern in the glue to allow the air to be released when applying it to a vehicle. Air release is a feature of all quality vehicle wrap vinyls.

AVERY: One of the top manufacturers of car wrap vinyl.

At Tradie Wraps we predominantly use Avery vinyl as in our opinion it has a superior combination of vinyl life, ease of install, and ease of removal at end of life.

3M: One of the top manufacturers of car at vinyl.

ARLON: One of the top manufacturers of car at vinyl.

HEXIS: One of the top manufacturers of car at vinyl.

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