Learning to Wrap Like a Pro

Tuesday kicked off the three-day intensive training sessions titled “Wrap Like a Pro,” with veteran wrapper and instructor Rob Ivers, from Rob Ivers Inc., taking attendees through every stage of vehicle wraps. The event is being held offsite, at PG Nola, a local wrap design and installation shop that has been the Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions — North America Central Region winner for the past three consecutive years in the Wrap Like a King international competition.

At the “Wrap Like a Pro” training session, attendees learned the tips and tricks of a successful installation.

At the event, which runs all three days of the show, Ivers is ensuring every attendee walks away with the tips and tricks they need to ensure they get a perfect wrap, every time. He began the seminar on Tuesday with tips and tricks on how to prepare any vehicle for any wrap. One tip Ivers shared to make life easier for wrap installers is to make sure that every part that comes off the car is stored in that car. While some installers prefer to use a box, if a part is lost or forgotten, it’s gone. But if it’s in the vehicle, then it can easily be installed at a later time — and every part that can come off, should come off of to get the best possible results.

When it comes to adhesion, it is imperative to ensure the surface is absolutely clean and free of even a spec of dirt or dust. Ivers suggested that, depending on the level of dirt on the car, wrappers clean the vehicle three times — once with soap and water to get off the easy dirt, once with a stronger cleaning solution designed to remove tar and grease and finally with isopropyl alcohol to ensure there is no residue or oil left on the surface. Once the entire car is completely clean, individual sections can be wiped down with the alcohol again before wrapping them to eliminate dust or fingerprints.

Throughout the three days, attendees will continue to work on three different cars, applying the vinyl using a range of techniques. “What I want to teach you is technique,” Ivers told the group. “I could teach you how to wrap a Malibu, or I could teach you how to wrap a Sentra, but I want to teach you how to wrap in general.”