What are the differences between PPF and Vinyl wrap?

PPF (shorted for paint protection film) is a virtually transparent, self-healing urethane film that mainly provides protection for your vehicle’s paint from scuffs, scratches, and rock chips. Vinyl wrap is a PVC-based thin and flexible film. It comes in a variety of colors, finishes, and textures. You can print any design on a vinyl wrap, and the main purpose of a vehicle wrap is for decoration or advertising. (You can check more detailed info. regarding the features of these two products from this article “Paint Protection Film VS Vinyl Wrap“). Many people may ask, can you put paint protection film over vinyl?

Yes, it’s a definite yes. The sequence in which the films are installed is the only point of debate, and in this situation, you can choose to install paint protection film on top of a vinyl film or vice versa. Your exact order will be determined by your priorities and the complexity of your vinyl work.

PPF or Vinyl Wrap, Which One First?

Consider the situation when you want to apply a single-color vinyl wrap with the extra benefit of paint protection film. Which film should you put in first, and which should you put in last?

That is all dependent on how long you want your vinyl film to remain on your car. If you’re not completely sold on the new color for your vehicle, or if you plan to change it up in a few months, it’s a good idea to put a paint protection film on first, followed by your vinyl wrap. This is so that you can shield your original vehicle paint from damage during the vinyl installation, and you won’t have to reapply the PPF layer if you decide to replace your vinyl wrap.

On the other hand, if you’re completely committed to your vinyl wrap color and want to permanently maintain the film finish, you should consider applying PPF over the vinyl wrap. That means, the colored film will be protected from rips and stains for the life of your paint protection film, which is typically 10 to 15 years for most brands.

However, for any complicated or layered vinyl wraps, we suggest putting vinyl wraps on top of PPF. If paint protection film is applied over the vinyl, little air pockets will form between the two layers of film. This may not appear to be a major issue at first glance, but it does have an impact on the film’s aesthetics. More importantly, these microscopic air pockets could increase with time, forcing the two layers of film to separate. For the best results, it’s easier and smarter to apply paint protection film to the car’s paint first, then apply more vinyl wrap on top.

How do you decide whether to apply PPF film first or vinyl wrap first?

Below are some suggestions for you before deciding the application order of PPF film and vinyl wrap.