Chrome wraps seem to be all the rage these days - even though the material (Avery) is only semi-conformable, god-awfully expensive, only comes in 48" rolls (right?), and is officially marketed as an accent film. But the internet is full of pretty pictures. I'd be very interested in any feedback from installers that are actually doing these jobs.
I work for a sign/wrap shop that does 95% plain-old high quality printed commercial wraps, with occasional cosmetic jobs coming in, but we get calls/inquiries almost daily about chrome wraps. Most are ultimately not serious ($$$), and we usually talk them down by explaining that it will be very expensive, and still not flawless/seamless etc.
Background: I don't claim to be the best installer, but I've been doing wraps for almost ten years and generally know what I'm doing. I gauge the quality of my work by comparing it to the work of others that I actually see on the street, or coming in for removal etc (and it compares quite favorably). The problem is, real-life chrome wraps are hard to come by here in ugly, snowy, cold Chicago. I've only ever seen one, which was a total disgrace upon inspection.
My only experience actually wrapping with chrome has been doing the quarter panels, hood, and front bumper of the boss's car (Ford Flex). It was an experiment/practice, and I got it on there, but. . . I'm not exactly proud of it. It looks "great", and everyone loves it, but I wouldn't want any other professionals picking it apart up close. There are discolored (over-hot, over-stressed spots), and the front bumper is seamed together in several pieces. But it looks good in pictures- like everything. Not good enough.
So, I'm not actually looking for any advice or tips as such, just some honest feedback about expectations. Some of the difficulties I had working with it I know are of the "practice makes perfect" variety, but the material does seem to have real limitations. Are the pictures online and in magazines "too good to be true", or do those wraps really look flawless/seamless in real life? Are any of you guys doing chrome wraps to the same level of perfection as your other cosmetic jobs, or are there just some things that can't be done? I'm willing to, and going to keep at it, because I don't accept defeat in the vinyl-world, but I'd just like to know where to set my expectations.
Thanks in advance, and even if no one has any input, hopefully my limited experience can be useful to others.
I work for a sign/wrap shop that does 95% plain-old high quality printed commercial wraps, with occasional cosmetic jobs coming in, but we get calls/inquiries almost daily about chrome wraps. Most are ultimately not serious ($$$), and we usually talk them down by explaining that it will be very expensive, and still not flawless/seamless etc.
Background: I don't claim to be the best installer, but I've been doing wraps for almost ten years and generally know what I'm doing. I gauge the quality of my work by comparing it to the work of others that I actually see on the street, or coming in for removal etc (and it compares quite favorably). The problem is, real-life chrome wraps are hard to come by here in ugly, snowy, cold Chicago. I've only ever seen one, which was a total disgrace upon inspection.
My only experience actually wrapping with chrome has been doing the quarter panels, hood, and front bumper of the boss's car (Ford Flex). It was an experiment/practice, and I got it on there, but. . . I'm not exactly proud of it. It looks "great", and everyone loves it, but I wouldn't want any other professionals picking it apart up close. There are discolored (over-hot, over-stressed spots), and the front bumper is seamed together in several pieces. But it looks good in pictures- like everything. Not good enough.
So, I'm not actually looking for any advice or tips as such, just some honest feedback about expectations. Some of the difficulties I had working with it I know are of the "practice makes perfect" variety, but the material does seem to have real limitations. Are the pictures online and in magazines "too good to be true", or do those wraps really look flawless/seamless in real life? Are any of you guys doing chrome wraps to the same level of perfection as your other cosmetic jobs, or are there just some things that can't be done? I'm willing to, and going to keep at it, because I don't accept defeat in the vinyl-world, but I'd just like to know where to set my expectations.
Thanks in advance, and even if no one has any input, hopefully my limited experience can be useful to others.
