Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/637632
22 • WRAPS • 2 0 1 6 High Road vs. Low Road No matter which of the roads you take, they both come with a condition, but there's only one that you can control. High Road = Control—Spend the extra time, effort and money needed to do it right. Low Road = No Control—The path of least resistance and corner cutting. Either road you choose you'll be sleeping with the project until the end of life of the wrap. The question is which of these projects are you more willing to sleep with—a guaranteed return and upset client, or the one that will stand the test of time. This is a defining moment in how large the check writing (or check cashing) will be. Temperature is King For the application of pressure sen- sitive films, the most common cause of failure is improper temperature condi- tions. Ideally we would like to have the ambient and surface temperature to be in the 65°-75° F range. But if we can only have one end of the spectrum we always choose the higher temperature because the cold end of the spectrum will not promote adhesion, and consequently the media will fail prematurely. The Secret is Patience When it comes to application tech- niques, the secret is patience, patience, patience. Avoid overstretching. It is not necessary to stretch the hell out of the media to get coverage, it's more about softening the media over the larger area with heat, to change the direction of the media to conform to the surface. Weave into Concave Surfaces When concave surfaces are extreme, always weave into the areas. Do not pres- sure. It takes more time, but that's part of paying the price of High Road quality. This technique will stand the test of time. Edges, Corners and Seams The most vulnerable places for a wrap failure are edges, corners and seams. The bottom line here is that failure will occur due to one or more of the following rea- sons: • Vehicle surface was not properly cleaned • Film media was overstretched • The wrap was not post-heated enough, or was done at the wrong temperature. Managing expectations is key, as is clear communication skills. (Image courtesy of A.P.E. Wraps) BUSINESS & SALES The secret of doing good wrap applications is patience, patience patience. (Image courtesy of A.P.E. Wraps and Avery Dennison)