Is it cheaper to paint or wrap a car?
Car Wrap Vs Paint: The Pros and Cons | Accurate Signs
A car serves as part of a persona. Bold colors and novel designs make a big statement you can take on the road to make a lasting impression before many pairs of eyes.
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Mass-produced vehicles have a limited color palette, so we get used to seeing the same colors over and over again. We change it up because we seek attention, either for personal or promotional reasons.
For 30 years, Accurate Signs has worked with businesses to make the best impression in the Mesquite, TX and Dallas, TX areas. We team up with local businesses to create the perfect vehicle wraps to drive around town. Contact us at (972) 996- with any questions you have about car wraps!
Why Change Your Vehicles Appearance?
For businesses, customized vehicles get you way more mileage for your marketing. Because of the high value with this method of advertising, some companies are willing to pay hundreds of dollars just to have someone drive around town with signage. Brand recognition grows and people frequently seeing your representative vehicle out on the road get an impression that your business is thriving.
As for paint color makeovers, unconventional colors stand out from a long line of cars. A signature color expresses an individuals personality or becomes a brands identity.
Having a vehicle represent uniqueness with either a specific color hue or a graphic logo helps you to be known. Transforming your car from generic to novel bolsters your identity and helps others remember you.
Your Options: Car Wrap Vs Paint Job
For changing the color personality of your vehicle, you have two options: a vinyl wrap or a paint job. The main difference between a wrap vs paint is that paint is permanent and a vinyl wrap is removable. What kind of makeover you opt for depends on your goals and preferences.
What is Vinyl Wrap?
With a car wrap, custom fit decals cover parts of the auto body to transform the vehicles appearance. Each piece is carefully applied followed by a heat treatment to activate the adhesive and seal the bond to the auto body. The decals make no change to the auto paint itself and they can be removed to revert back to the original color.
Beyond the standard glossy finish, the graphic displays can be enhanced with gradient color, chrome metallic color, or an understated matte color. Decals can be customized however you like to make the appearance your very own. Learn more about Accurate Signs car wrapping and see real-life examples of our work with Car Wraps.
Whats a Paint Job?
Paint jobs either restore the original paint of the auto body or change the overall color. First, the body is completely cleaned and degreased then sanded down. An additional cleaning prepares the surface for painting. A single color is painted with a sprayer device to evenly coat the surface of the vehicle. Once all coats have been applied and dried, the body is treated with a clear coat.
A fresh paint job can make a car look like it did the day it first drove off the lot. Paint jobs preserve the authenticity of high-end and collectible cars by maintaining their original appearance.
Car Wrap Vs Paint Cost Which is Cheaper?
Cost is a likely factor in a wrapping vs painting decision: is it cheaper to wrap or paint a car?
Paint jobs run from $500 (low quality) or anywhere between $1,000-$5,000 (high-quality).
A professional wrap runs between $2,500 to $5,000. There is also a labor cost to remove the wrap that may range between $500-$600.
Accurate Signs does partial or complete wraps with costs ranging from $500 to $4,000 depending on the size of the job. Design services are included at no additional cost (in most cases). Check out our car wrap pricing guidelines for more information.
Time of Application Which Takes Longer?
Painting a car is a lengthy process whereas wrapping has a relatively quick turnaround time. A paint job could take up to two weeks to complete while getting a car wrapped can be done in a few days.
Paint jobs require more prep time and several coats of paint (plus clear coat). Technicians take their time as each step must be done with care to prevent cosmetic or integrity flaws.
Wrapping takes less time than painting because its an application of only one layer and its a simpler process.
Durability of Vehicle Wraps Vs Paint Which Lasts Longer?
How long a paint job lasts depends on the quality of the work and the care given to maintenance. Low-quality jobs will last a few years, but high-quality work can last for a lifetime if the paint is gently cleaned and regularly waxed.
Vinyl wraps are easier to maintain and do not require waxing. Depending on the coloring and how the decals are situated, a wrap will last 2-10 years.
Customization Which Option Provides More Flexibility?
Paint typically involves one or two colors (for that two-toned look) and thats about as flexible as it gets. Paint is also permanent so the color is a long term commitment.
Car wraps are highly flexible as you can use multiple colors and various effects for a highly-customized look. Another flexible feature is being able to remove the wrap. If you want to repurpose the car or prepare the vehicle for sale, you can remove the entire wrap and go back to the original state. Its a short-term commitment if you wish it to be.
So Should You Wrap or Paint Your Car?
For those who want to keep it simple and traditional, a paint job will suffice. It may require a lot of time in the shop and perhaps cost more, but investing in a high-quality paint job will last many years. You might prefer a solid color for the vehicle to transition between business and personal use.
As with a paint job, vehicle wraps can also be a solid color and create a new look without a permanent change. For those who really want to take their message on wheels before thousands of people out and about in public, a custom design wrap does just that.
Sporting a custom design wrap presents your brand in a big way and builds awareness for your business. Some will even park these vehicles close to the roadway when not in use to maximize the advertising benefit.
Have you seen attractive decaled vehicles around town and does that inspire you to upgrade your look? Get started on transforming your vehicle into an attention-grabber! Contact us at (972) 686-. Were here to answer any questions you may have about the vinyl wrap design and installation process.
CAR WRAP VS PAINT: 11 REASONS TO WRAP YOUR CAR
CAR WRAP VS PAINT: 11 REASONS TO WRAP YOUR CAR
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SpeedPro
When you want to change your vehicles appearance, you can choose between painting it or wrapping it. Both options allow you to outfit your vehicle with a new look, but there are some major differences between them.
Full vehicle wraps offer a few key benefits compared to painting, such as lower costs, better quality, greater protection and more design options.
Vehicle wraps advantages make them an ideal choice for car owners and fleet managers, whether theyre looking to save money or create a one-of-a-kind design.
Find out more about vehicle wraps and the 11 main reasons to wrap your vehicle.
What Are Vehicle Wraps?
Vehicle wraps are large vinyl decals or graphics designed to cover the exterior of a vehicle. Depending on your designs, these vinyl films can resemble paint or come with specialty graphics.
Companies may want to wrap their fleets to add custom logos to the outside of their vehicles, while individual drivers may want the look of a high-quality paint job for a fraction of the cost.
You can also find high-quality wraps in different sizes, with some geared towards wrapping the whole vehicle and others made to cover just a part of it, such as a decal.
Imaging companies usually make vehicle wraps out of vinyl, printing custom colors, designs and graphics onto the vinyl to match a customers needs. Vinyl vehicle wraps typically feature an adhesive backing designed to attach the wrap to the vehicle and a laminated coat on the surface to protect the vinyl.
11 Reasons to Wrap Your Car
When considering the main wrap vs. paint pros and cons, youll find that vehicle wraps offer several benefits over paint. Some areas where vehicle wraps excel include better quality, durability, lower costs and faster installation than paint.
By learning more about vehicle wraps top advantages over paint, you can make a more informed decision when choosing between the two.
Here are some of the top reasons to wrap your vehicle instead of painting it:
1. Better Quality
While both paint and wraps quality can vary by the type you choose, vehicle wraps tend to be of higher quality than paints. A poor-quality paint job may look good, but it will fade, crack, and scratch over time.
Even paint jobs featuring better quality paints can suffer damage more easily than wraps, as they dont offer the same level of protection against the weather, sun exposure, and road hazards.
A good vehicle wrap will keep your vehicle looking its best long after a paint job would. An experienced wrap supplier constructs vehicle wraps out of long-lasting, durable materials designed to protect your vehicles appearance.
Since vehicle wraps dont fade as fast as many paints do and wont chip, they offer higher-quality visuals and protection. This level of quality attracts many car owners, as it helps them get more for their money.
2. Lower Costs
Alongside choosing wraps for their better quality, you may want to know more about wrap vs. paint costs. People want their car to look its best but dont want to spend a lot of money.
Imaging companies meet both of these needs by offering high-quality vehicle wraps at prices lower than what buyers would pay for a premium paint job. Generally, paint jobs range between $3,000 and $10,000. In contrast, you can find a high-quality car wrap between $2,500 and $5,000.
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Since a good paint job can cost more than double the cost of a professional vehicle wrap, many companies with fleets choose them over paint. The lower costs allow buyers to save money while getting an attractive look meeting or exceeding a top-tier paint job and reduce the overall expense of wrapping multiple vehicles.
Additionally, paint jobs require more maintenance, leading to higher costs. Vehicle wrap maintenance is much easier, allowing you to save money.
3. More Design Options
Another area where quality vehicle wraps beat paint is the number of options they provide to buyers. When you purchase a vehicle from the lot, it likely comes with limited color options. If none of these options appeal to you, youre stuck picking a color you dont love.
With a vehicle wrap, you can select from many different colors and design options, including holographic effects and details that can be difficult to manage with paint but are simple with vinyl.
Custom vehicle wraps can match the exact color pallet you want for your car. You can also outfit a wrap with custom designs to advertise your business, such as lettering, logos and specialty graphics.
When you choose a vehicle wrap, youll have more options to select from while also receiving a new look for your car faster and for less money.
4. Higher Vehicle Resale Value
When its time to resell your vehicle, quality wraps can help you keep its value higher than paint will. For many buyers, a car featuring its original manufacturers paint in good condition is incredibly valuable.
The paint can get scratched or chipped when the owner drives their vehicle. Additionally, exposure to the sun and other weather elements can cause the paint to fade and wear down. Damage or wear to the cars original paint can reduce the vehicles resale value.
A vehicle wrap is perfect if you own a car and want to change its appearance while keeping the original paint.
Vehicle wraps allow you to retain the cars original paint job, as a high-quality vehicle wrap wont damage the paint and will provide a protective cover over it.
Once you decide to sell the car, the paint will often look like it did the day you first wrapped it, raising the vehicles resale value compared to damaged paint.
5. Faster Installation
A major benefit of wrapping your car instead of painting it is getting it back in your hands faster. A new paint job can take weeks to complete as the company fits you into their schedule, paints your vehicle, and waits for the paint to dry between each coat, including a clear coat finish.
This waiting period can be very inconvenient for individuals and companies that need their fleet on the road, resulting in lost revenue.
When you decide to wrap your vehicle, the process usually only takes a few days. An imaging company only has to print out your desired wrap and then install it on your vehicle, getting it back to you in less than a week.
Some companies can even wrap your vehicle in only a single day. As a result, you get your car back faster than if youd gone with paint.
6. Longer Lasting
While high-end paint jobs can last a while, low-end paint jobs may only last for a couple of years. A cheap paint job will often start chipping, wearing, and fading in two years, leaving you to pay for another coat of paint.
Even if you receive the best paint job money can buy, its susceptible to damage from scratches, inclement weather, rocks and other environmental harm, and minor fading.
Since you probably want your car to look its best for as long as possible, you may want to turn to car wraps. These wraps feature durable vinyl that lasts up to 10 years and offers greater protection from scratches from rocks and other environmental dangers.
Additionally, you can select vinyl wraps with a UV-resistant coating to keep your wraps colors as vivid as the day you first installed it on your vehicle for many years.
7. Easier Color and Design Swapping
When you want to change the look of your car, vehicle wraps have the edge over paint jobs. If you choose to paint, you must repaint the entire vehicle to get a new look, which can take a lot of time.
Additionally, placing special effects and finishes on your car with paint is often difficult, limiting your options when you decide to change your vehicles appearance.
Unlike paint, you can quickly swap out older vehicle wraps for new ones, allowing you to update your branding or style as needed and in less time than it takes to paint the vehicle.
Simply peel the older vehicle wrap off and apply a new one to the car to give it a new look.
Vehicle wraps can also more easily facilitate effects, colors and finishes that paint can struggle with. For example, color shift, satin, pearl and chrome finishes are much easier to add to your vehicle with vehicle wraps instead of paint.
8. Simpler Maintenace
Paint requires much more maintenance than vinyl if you want it to look its best for a long time. Generally, car owners must wax their vehicles to protect the paint and wash it regularly to prevent contaminants from harming the paint.
When car owners dont wash their vehicles exterior, contaminants, like pollutants and microparticles, will form in the paints pores and corrode the paint. Regular washing and reapplying protective coats can take lots of time and money.
Vehicle wraps offer an attractive alternative to paint, as they dont require such intensive maintenance. You wont need to wash your vehicle as often since vinyl doesnt have pores like paint that allow contaminants to embed themselves in the wrap.
Washing vinyl is easy as well, with simple maintenance requirements. If you operate a fleet, you can save money since you dont have to devote as much labor or purchase as many specialty products to keep your vehicles looking their best.
9. Safer and Easier Removal
Paint can be difficult to remove.
When you need to remove a coat of paint or restore a scuffed panel to its former glory, youll often have to remove paint via a sanding device manually. You may also need to pay for mechanical or chemical paint removal solutions if manual options arent ideal.
Manual removal requires hard work, and mechanical removal can damage the car.
In contrast, vehicle wrap removal is incredibly easy and doesnt require any intensive processes to remove it. Removing a vehicle wrap usually involves heating the decal, peeling it off by hand and then using an adhesive remover.
As long as a wrap is removed in a time frame that doesnt exceed the manufacturers instructions, sometimes up to 10 years, it wont typically damage the paint underneath it. Due to a wraps design, vehicle wrap removal is a safer and simpler process than paint removal.
10. Greater Paint Protection
When you place a wrap over your vehicles paint, you protect it from damage. Cars that dont have wraps on them put their paint in harms way, as its exposed to weather, environmental hazards, dangers on the road and even car wash damage.
For example, if your car kicks up a rock while youre driving, it can hit your cars paint, chipping it or scratching it. Additionally, prolonged sun exposure can cause a paints color to fade.
Wraps prevent damage to your paint by covering your vehicle with vinyl. These vinyl vehicle wraps are much more resistant to hazards and other dangers than paint, helping your car maintain its great looks year-round.
You can purchase thick vinyl wraps to safeguard your paint from rocks and scratches from other vehicles. As was discussed earlier, vehicle wraps keep your vehicles value high by protecting the underlying paint.
11. More Texture Options
Another area where vinyl shines is in its texture options.
By its nature, paint only comes in one smooth texture, with any rough textures coming from contaminants lodged in the surface. This lack of textural options can be a major downside to buyers who want to personalize their vehicle and stand out while driving.
Vehicle wraps can come in various textures and even matte finishes to give your vehicle a particular feeling when you run your hands over it. Besides their ability to change how a car feels, textured wraps can also significantly change the vehicles look.
Since different textures react to light in various ways, so they can change your vehicles appearance a great deal, giving them more depth and elegance and drawing more eyes to a companys graphics. Some popular options include satin, gloss and matte vehicle wraps.
Common Questions About Vehicle Wraps
As you consider investing in a vehicle wrap for your car or fleet of vehicles, take a moment to review answers to some of the most common questions about vehicles wraps:
- Are car wraps more durable than paint? Vehicle wraps are generally more durable than paint. While a top-tier paint job can last the life of a vehicle, standard paint jobs typically only last a couple of years. A high-quality vehicle wrap will last up to 10 years. Additionally, car wraps are thicker than paint and dont have pores, making them more resistant to damage and easier to maintain.
- Can a wrap look like paint? Buyers can often choose from multiple kinds of vehicle wraps resembling paint. If you want a traditional-looking vehicle without the downsides of paint, vehicle wraps can deliver just that. You can also purchase vehicle wraps that dont resemble paint if you want to stand out on the road. This level of choice makes vehicle wraps incredibly versatile and customizable to a buyers tastes.
- Does wrapping a car damage the paint? If you properly install vinyl and remove it, it wont usually damage your cars paint. It can better protect it, as a wrap is a protective layer over the paint. When you install a new wrap on your car, you should pre-test the paint to ensure its in good condition. If the paints in bad condition, vinyl wrap removal may cause peeling, so its important only to wrap vehicles with paint in good condition.
- Is it possible to wrap a vehicle yourself? Attempting to do it yourself is not recommended unless youre an expert wrap installer. Its much safer to allow a professional to install vehicle wraps, as putting on a wrap correctly can be difficult for those who arent trained to install them. By sticking to professional installation, you can avoid bubbles and wrinkles in your wrap, ensuring your car looks its best.
- Do you have to replace the entire wrap if a section is damaged? Accidents can happen, and sometimes a vehicle wrap will get damaged. One benefit of vehicle wraps is that you often dont have to replace the entire wrap when you need to repair a specific area. Instead, you can purchase a partial wrap matching your full wraps design and color, with a professional lining it up seamlessly with the rest of the design.
- Can you wrap a leased vehicle? While leasing companies have varying vehicle restrictions, they generally allow buyers to use vehicle wraps. Since vehicle wraps can protect a cars paint and usually wont harm it, many leasing companies are happy to allow clients to wrap their vehicles.
- Who uses car wraps? Usually, car owners who want to upgrade their vehicles style and companies that want to market their business are the primary car wrap users. Since vehicle wraps are easy to duplicate and feature eye-catching graphics, companies love placing them on their fleets to raise brand awareness. Many car owners enjoy using them to make their exterior stand out.
Choose SpeedPro for Your Vehicle Wrap Needs
With all the reasons to wrap vehicles instead of painting them, you might also be interested in adding a custom wrap to your car. As the nations largest network of imaging studios specializing in large-format graphics, we can outfit your vehicle or fleet with durable vehicle wraps youll love.
You can submit your DIY design for our high-quality vinyl wraps or work with one of our specialists to find the perfect fit for your vehicle.
Find your local SpeedPro today to speak with one of our representatives about what we can do for you.
For more information, please visit Khaki Green Car Wrap.
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