Every business owner is looking for ways to be seen without breaking the bank. There are dozens of ways to promote your business, but vinyl wraps have taken off in popularity over the last decade. Vinyl wraps are affordable, 100% customizable, and can show off your business or mark municipal vehicles at a fraction of the cost of a custom paint job.

If you’re ready to promote your business everywhere you drive – you’re ready for a vinyl wrap. Though you see them on the highway every day, most people aren’t exactly sure how vinyl wraps work and if their current vehicle fits with their wrap plans.

Does a Car’s Stock Color Limit Your Vinyl Color Choices?

You’ll never be expected to know the ins and outs of the wrapping process, but you do need to know if your vehicle (or fleet) and their current colors are a good candidate for wraps. Let’s figure out does a car’s stock color limit your vinyl color choices and other information on getting the highest quality wrap.

Does a Car’s Stock Color Limit Your Vinyl Color Choices?

Tips on a Car’s Stock Color and Vinyl Color

Good news, unless you’re installing ghost graphics, your vehicle’s stock color shouldn’t make a difference in its ability to be wrapped. Modern vinyl graphics are solidly colored and won’t allow stock color to show through unless you install low-quality vinyl or use an unqualified wrap company. There are two vinyl wrap types that can fully block the original paint color:

Color Vinyl Wraps – Solidly-colored vinyl wraps used for unique base colors are opaque and will not show the original paint color. The wrap is designed to perfectly fit the vehicle it’s being applied to and won’t allow unwanted specs of color or anything else to distract you from the wrap’s message.

Custom Printed Vinyl Wraps – Wrap companies use a specialized wide format printer to print custom graphics for wraps of all colors. A large format printer does double duty by both printing the custom graphics with expert precision and laminating the graphics to protect them from everyday damage. The lamination process will block all previous paint colors from showing through.

The only time your vehicle’s stock color makes a difference are in small gaps in vehicle panels and depend on the vehicle’s make and model. If your stock color is vibrant like yellow or orange, you might notice subtle peeks of color when opening or closing doors, but these are typically only noticeable by the vehicle owner. If you want to avoid any trace of stock color choose a vehicle with a neutral color like black for wraps.

Choosing High Quality Wraps

The easiest way to avoid stock colors bleeding through is not by choosing a specific color but a reputable wrap company that only uses high quality vinyl. Wraps are a recent phenomenon, but around long enough that experts know which companies produce high quality vinyl with bold colors and no bleed-through. The most popular choices for vinyl wraps are:

3M – 3M is a legendary name in high-quality materials and are among the top brands for vinyl wraps. 3M vinyl wrap is available in different qualities and styles but no matter the choice, any vinyl manufactured by 3M is strong, vibrant, and won’t allow previous stock colors to show through. 3M boasts over 100 different base colors, textures, and visual effects.

Avery Dennison – Avery Dennison manufacturers some of the highest quality wraps available. Avery Dennison wraps are known for their strength and durability with usable life ratings of up to 12 years on selected products. Avery Dennison wraps are available in multiple base colors, textures, and thicknesses to match your style and budget.

Stock Color and Ghost Graphics

Your vehicle’s stock color will make a difference if you choose to wrap with ghost graphics but that’s be design. Ghost graphics are sections of vinyl wrap that are installed to blend into a vehicle’s natural stock color instead of hiding it. Ghost graphics are popular with police departments since it lets patrol vehicles blend into traffic while also being clearly marked when the vehicle needs to identify itself.

For ghost graphics you’ll want to choose a favorable base color since the vinyl ghost graphics will be the same color, white for white, green for green, etc. Unlike full wraps, ghost graphics are only used on certain sections of the vehicle.

You won’t have to guess what your vehicles will look like after ghost graphics application thanks to modern design software. A wrap company can upload the vehicle and stock color into their system and show you mock-ups of what the vehicle will look like after ghost graphics are applied. You can adjust as needed before letting the wrap team do their work.

Choosing High Quality Wraps

Except for ghost graphics, which are chosen with the stock color in mind, your car’s color will not show through a modern wrap thanks to specialized tools and materials. Only choose reputable wrap companies and high-quality materials from 3M or Avery Dennison for an eye-catching and head-turning wrap on your vehicle. When you’re ready to discuss how a vinyl wrap can benefit your new vehicle or fleet, call The Artworks for more information and an estimate.