I have a confession to make; I've been avoiding matte black wraps. Seriously—avoiding them like the plague. Oh, I'll wrap a hood, a roof, a trunk and in some cases all three, but a full bumper-to-bumper wrap in matte black I've been secretly avoiding.

That is, until last week. I'm not sure how or why we took the job—normally we refer matte color-change wraps to some guys in a nearby city who specialize in them—but this one had some interesting spot-gloss graphics, so we took on the project.

Let me preface this by saying that we've done full color-change wraps in gloss colors with no problems or hesitations. And I've wrapped in satin finishes with minimal hesitations. But for some reason I've been avoiding matte black. Maybe it's the fear of easy scratching, the need to use a heat gun when I really like my torch. It might just be knowing that I'm going to have to slow down and tackle something new.

Difficult, But Not Hard

Well, let's just say that it was in fact a difficult installation. It wasn't hard, but for me it certainly was difficult. It was difficult because it was new, there were unknown factors that we hadn't faced, and we had to move at a much slower pace than we were used to.

But, the wrap came out great. The customer was happy, and while I still may continue to avoid matte black wraps like the plague, at least I know I can handle them.

So, with all that said there will be difficult installations that come up. It doesn't matter if you've been wrapping for a decade or for a month; you will inevitably have to bite the bullet and take on a project that requires you to step outside your comfort zone.

First Things First

Before I start discussing some specific challenges, let me say that the first thing you need to get started is a little bit of confidence. Seriously. You won't ever be able to step out of your comfort zone, grow your business or learn new skills if you don't have some confidence in your basic abilities.

I'm sure you've heard the saying, “Fake it ’til you make it,” which can apply here in the context that you have to dive in and try until you've gained the skills necessary to do it with full confidence. Research articles and videos on whatever challenge you're struggling, with and then practice the challenge on your shop vehicle. Keep in mind you'll probably not be able to charge for the full number of hours it actually takes you when tackling something new on the customer's vehicle. As your confidence and skills grow, so does your speed.

Media and Tools

Along with your confidence—and at least some basic skills and experience—you'll also need the right media before tackling difficult installations. Once the vehicle has been properly prepped, the media you use must be designed for the type of challenge you'll be facing.

Be sure that you're also using the right tools for the job. For our matte wrap job we used heat guns instead of torches because they gave us better control with our heat (control was needed for our matte-wrap job). We also ordered brand new felt squeegees to minimize scratches. Rollers, rivet brushes, retractable knives, Knifeless Tape and hard-edge squeegees are a few other tools you may need.

Let's look at a few common challenges we run up against when wrapping a vehicle. Often there are just a few simple techniques that can simplify the problem. I'm touching on a few tips with each obstacle; I would highly suggest taking this information and coupling it with application recommendations made by the manufacturer of the media you're using.

Compound Curves

Bumpers and fenders are very common compound-curve areas. Depending on the vehicle, some curves are easier to wrap than others. Be sure you're using a good cast media that will conform nicely. You'll also need a heat gun or torch.

Whether it's a bumper, a fender or a hood with concave areas, take a look at the curve itself. You'll notice that the curve often runs in a distinct direction. On compound curves the object curves in multiple directions, making it harder to wrap.

First choose a direction that a majority of the curve is moving in. Let's look at a front fender for this example. A large portion of the material will wrap fairly flat down the center then will curve up over the top toward the hood, will flare and curve over the tire and then curves around toward the front light.

In this example you would wrap down the center flat area first, then squeegee up toward the hood. The area toward the front should be loose, as well as the bottom section hanging down.

Take this bottom hanging area and squeegee with the curve, up over the fender. If you start noticing areas that want to pucker then cut a few relief cuts in the area that hangs over the tire and will later be cut off; this releases some of the tension that is stretching the vinyl in multiple directions.

Once these areas are squeegeed in place, trim some excess, while leaving plenty for tucking and trimming, and pull the vinyl forward around the front curve over the headlights. You should always print with plenty of overlap so you have excess vinyl you can grip and pull on without actually over stretching the vinyl.

I like to apply as much vinyl as I can without heat to avoid overstretching, but on curves you'll need to apply light heat, allow it to slightly cool, then pull the vinyl in the direction you want to go and squeegee it in place.

Now when I say “pull” the vinyl I don't mean stretch it, just tell it where you want it to go. While there is great flexibility in the vinyl and you can stretch it to some extent, you have to be careful you don't over stretch the vinyl, which can lead to failure later on.

Relief Cuts

On tighter compound curves you may need to make relief cuts for the wrap to last long term. As with any wrap, your trimming and cuts need to be clean. Squeegee what you can in place then choose an area to create a relief cut. The relief cut essentially releases the pucker that is happening in an area of vinyl and allows you to overlap the vinyl and move it in the direction it needs to go in.

If you can hide the relief cut under a bumper or align it with another natural body line then this helps aesthetically. If you have a steady hand and a light touch then carefully cut a straight line (you can also lay down a masking tape line and cut along this). The loose section of vinyl can now be heated and applied over the top of the other vinyl. Cut the excess material off in a straight line with a sharp blade and a light touch.

Indentations

Some vehicles—like Sprinter vans and Ford Transits—have a number of body indentations. Check with your preferred film manufacturer for a material that is conformable enough for the job.

As a habit we like to use 3M Tape Primer on most of our wraps. Indentations along the body, around fenders and windows as well as any areas where the vinyl will need to be tucked in get a thin layer of Primer brushed on after the vehicle has been thoroughly cleaned.

There are really two options on indentations.

• If it's a smaller gap you can apply the graphics over the indentation and then heat and press the graphics in place. The vinyl should be heated, allowed to cool slightly then squeegee the vinyl in along the top toward the center, then along the bottom toward the center.
  Once the vinyl has been pressed nearly to the center you shouldn't have to stretch the material much to squeegee it into place. The tape primer and a good post heat should hold the material in place without bubbles. Don't just heat and press down the center; this puts too much pressure at the center, which can create a stretch line and bubbles.
• If the indention is larger or deeper then it's best to squeegee the vinyl into and then back out of the indentation as you're applying. If you try to press the vinyl into too big of a channel then you run the risk of overstretching the vinyl. This can create holes and color changes from the vinyl thinning. The material has a memory and will want to return to a flat state, which creates bubbles. Overstretching and overheating are never the way to go.

As a simple “work around” on some Sprinters and Transits we've designed the graphics to fit within these indented areas. Using Knifeless Tape, we run our cut line all the way around the indentation. The graphics are applied and we cut the border using the Knifeless Tape. This cuts down on installation costs and avoids any possible problems in this area.

Rivets

Rivets are all over truck trailers and can be a challenging to do correctly. There are two techniques that we use with rivets.

• When rivets are sparse or randomly spaced—First apply your graphics right over the rivets, lightly hitting the top of the rivets. I like to say apply "like they're not even there," meaning don't squeegee up-to or carefully around the rivets (which creates weird pockets and wrinkles), applying like the rivets are not even there. This keeps the overall positioning of the vinyl panel where it needs to be.
  Once the graphics are in place, use an air release tool and poke several holes around each rivet. Using a torch or heat gun heat the vinyl over the rivet and then press it around the rivet with a 3M Power Grip applicator or a rivet brush.
• For long rows of rivets—When there are lots of rivets we use a faster method. We apply our graphics to box trucks in panels that are 4’ wide. The graphics are taped up and measured into place then we apply in vertical passes leaving a long pocket of air over the rows of rivets.
  The vinyl over the rivets is then heated, and then using a foam roller we press a long row in place along the vertical line; any air is moved out the bottom of the pocket. We'll apply about a 3’ vertical section at a time and then conform the rivets before moving on.
  The key is to make sure you have an opening at the bottom of the pocket for the air to push out of. Also, you need a moderate amount of heat for the rivets to fully conform, but you don't want to overheat and then press the vinyl. It takes a little practice to find the right amount of heat.

Corrugations

We've wrapped our share of corrugated trailers and this challenge is very similar to what you do when facing indentations. On some trailers the corrugations are really gradual. We found that applying to the tops of the corrugations and then pressing the graphics into the indention, first at the top toward the center and then at the bottom toward the center, yielded the best results.

For deeper corrugations you will need to squeegee into and out of the corrugations to avoid over stretching and future bubbles. Since the graphics will go in and out of each indention, you'll need to compensate for the extra material needed vertically.

A simple trick is to run a piece of masking tape into and out of each corrugation the full height of the trailer; mark the top and bottom on the tape. Pull the tape back out then lay it flat along the length of the truck, on the ground or other flat surface then measure the distance between the two marks.

When designing you'll design for the height of the truck as it is flat. Then when you get ready to print you'll stretch the graphic (just vertically), to the measured length, to compensate for the extra few inches so when the graphics are applied they look “normal,” not squished vertically.