What is a Colour Change Wrap Film?

Colour change wrap films have gained popularity over the past few years providing car owners the flexibility to customize their vehicles with unique colours, finishes and designs. These vinyl films can be applied and removed relatively easily without permanent alteration to the vehicle’s original paintwork. They also provide the added benefit of protecting the original paint from wear and environmental damage.

The Best Colour Change Wrap Films

What to consider when selecting the best colour change wrap films or brands to offer your customers?

Colour and Finish

Most often, colour and finish will be the deciding factor when picking a wrap film. You or your client will have a vision and just need the right film to make it happen. Each brand will have a variety of colours and finishes that they offer so it is important to equip your business with the latest swatch books or visualization tools to help you find the right fit for your application.  

3M: One of the most renowned brands in the market, 3M offers the 3M™ Wrap Film Series 2080. A multi-layer cast film with a bold assortment of nearly 100 colours, patterns and textures. Included in the 2080 series are also high-gloss colours that provide a mirror-like appearance.  

Avery Dennison: Avery Dennison stands out with its Supreme Wrapping Film SW900 with over 120 colours in a variety of finishes. Their striking Colorflow and Conform Chrome series will help your customers make a statement.

HEXIS: Known for having one of the most unique colour ranges in the market, HEXIS SKINTAC HX20000 is their flagship premium cast wrap film with a range of over 110 colours available in gloss, matte or satin finishes. Their HX30000 series allows your customers to be daring with finishes ranging from carbon, chrome, metallic, and pearlescent to super matte.

Metamark: Distributed exclusively by ND Graphics in Canada, Metamark’s MetaCast® MCX series has a range that includes contemporary and brand colours, as well as Metamark Inspire™ colours developed to reproduce some of the most desirable OEM paint colours.

 

Metamark Inspire™ colours

 

Quality and Durability

A good vinyl film should last a few years depending on the application of the film and usage of the vehicle. Opt for brands known for their high durability and resistance to environmental factors and are backed by warranties.  

3M:  3M designs, formulates, and manufactures 3M™ Wrap Film Series 2080 for optimum performance and durability. 3M warrants that applied 3M™ Wrap Film Series 2080 will be free of defects in materials and manufacture – including yellowing, bubbling or cracking. The expected performance life for these films is dependent on application type and zone. 

Avery Dennison: The Avery Dennison Supreme Wrapping Film SW900 offers outstanding durability and outdoor performance including excellent UV, temperature, humidity, and salt-spray resistance. The durability of these films will vary depending on the colour and finish of the film.

HEXIS: Like many colour change films, the durability of SKINTAC varies by application, colour and finish of the film. Film thickness does vary between different colours and finishes which allows these films to preserve their colour even under strong deformation.

Metamark: Metamark is known for its robust and high-quality films that offer both aesthetics and long-term durability backed by the MetaSure™ warranty, offering up to 12 years of durability.

 

HEXIS SKINTAC 

 

Adhesion and Installation

Brands that offer technology-enhanced adhesives that allow for repositionability and ease of application will make the installation process smoother and result in a more professional finish. Most films require heat to activate the adhesive allowing the film to stick firmly without damage to the paint underneath. It is also important to review Product/Installation Bulletins and Technical Datasheets to help provide an understanding of the intricacies of each film.

3M: 3M technologies like Controltac™ and Comply™ help to minimize the initial contact area of the adhesive for easy sliding, tacking, snap-up, and repositioning, and the air to exit through air release channels to the edge of the graphic.

Avery Dennison: Supreme Wrapping Films feature Easy Apply™ RS adhesive technology, which allows for repositionability and ease of application, helping to reduce installation time. These films also provide excellent conformability around curves and recesses.

HEXIS: SKINTAC is a multilayered cast PVC film and release liner with structured HEX’Press adhesive for faster application and air evacuation. Post-heating with HEXIS films is critical to the success of the installation.

Metamark: MetaCast® MCX’s MetaGlide® air release technology has a microchannel air release system giving an optimal performance with enhanced repositionability and high adhesive strength. This provides total confidence when fitting into 3D channels and recesses.

To ensure a uniform and flawless look, if you are wrapping an entire car, it is recommended to purchase a full roll of the colour your customer selects or use film from the same lot number. Sometimes films from different production runs may have slight variations that could be noticeable. Films with unique finishes will have directional characteristics so it is best not to alternate between length and width panels. 

 

Avery Dennison SW900 Colorflow

 

Choose ND Graphics as your Supplier

Now that you’re equipped with an understanding of how to select the best colour change wrap film to offer your customers, let ND Graphics be the supplier for your vinyl film needs. You not only get access to the best selection of colour change wrap films in the market but also the support to thrive in a competitive industry.

  • Availability: With 10 branches across Canada, we ensure that all colour change films are readily available to you when you need them.
  • Buy what you need: We sell films by the yard, allowing you to purchase exactly what you need, minimizing cost and waste.
  • Support: From our sales and customer service teams to our product specialists, we work with you to find the best product for any application.
  • Training: We also offer training programs to help installers learn to master the art of vinyl film installation.
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Whether you're starting a new car wrap business or looking to grow your business with car wrap films, we look forward to partnering with you to customize vehicles across Canada with state-of-the-art wrap films.