What's The Diff? Wraps vs. Paint

I like to think you came across this article and were drawn to the goofy image or the amusing wordplay in the title, but ultimately what brought you here was the question of: What's the difference between vinyl vehicle wraps and a new paint job, and what does that mean for your pockets?

Whether you're a business owner looking to give your fleet a unique touch and cohesive flow, or a car nut who likes the head-turning effect a sleek color can induce, the thought of a color change has crossed your mind. To change a vehicle's colors can be done in a few ways.

First, there's the option of buying a brand new vehicle. I'm sure right off the bat, we can all agree purchasing a new vehicle isn't the most effective way to change a vehicle's color.

Second, there's the option to repaint the vehicle. This is obviously a much better alternative to buying an entirely new vehicle. Paint jobs are a great way to alternate the colors of your vehicle, many skilled technicians have spent better parts of half of their life learning the art of painting, repainting, and repairing finishes on vehicles of all kinds. While this option sounds great on paper (or in this humorously written article) more often than not it's a struggle to find painters skilled enough in a reasonable price range. Average paint jobs can range anywhere from $1-$7k. While basic jobs may not cost much, depending on the vehicle and labor, the bill can run up pretty high. Paint jobs are permanent and require constant maintenance to upkeep its "shine". Some people have the means for such a financial and time consuming investment, but many of us can't afford to keep track of "Did I wax the truck yesterday?" or "That scratch wasn't here this morning". Another key element to point out is many times a re-paint can significantly lower the value of the vehicle regardless of the quality of the job or skill of the technician. Paint jobs are a good choice but there's one more option to consider before making your decision: Vinyl Wraps

Vinyl wraps are durable, easily removable, more affordable, and protect the original paint of the vehicle. This in turn decreases the exponential decline of the vehicle's value in the future as opposed to re-paint jobs. While lettering can be done with paint, the quality is very low as opposed to a vector file printed on the HP Latex 365. This ensures precise color flow and separation in lettering or logos with no blurring or smudging. Logos and other images of any kind can be printed on wraps. (That includes the cutest picture of your doggo smack dab on the hood) From a branding stand-point, wraps not only catch the eye of potential clients and consumers, they also bring your brand to life; Like a jingle you can see.

On average, high quality wraps from names like 3M or Avery Dennison can last anywhere from 6-10 years depending on your area's weather conditions and care taken of the vehicle as a whole and a high quality full wrap would cost about $3-$5k. The adhesive used by these wrap giants removes easily dealing no damage to the paint underneath. Wraps are made very durable using PVC, which prevents everyday wear and tear. Last but not least, the high quality vinyl finishes rival that of professional painters minus the permanence, so if you wanted to change colors or even sell the vehicle a few years down the line wraps make the headache go away. (Avery Dennison? More like Advil Dennison.)

In the long run, a wrap will cost you less in maintenance and help bring more business your way, filling those pockets with green rather than flies. I hope I both amused and informed you as much as I did myself writing this! Bye bye and Buy Bonds.

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