A vehicle wrap is a large vinyl design that covers either part of a car or an entire car. The vehicles with vinyl graphics are mobile billboards. They offer more reach opportunities at a low cost and can increase brand awareness in short term. However, vehicle graphics are not affordable at the earliest time, let’s check the history of vehicle wraps.

The History of Vehicle Advertising

Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, first manufactured the vehicle for racing. These cars are marked with the numbers, the racers, their sponsors so that they might be identified on the track. These marks are the earliest forms of vehicle body graphics. Of course, they were painted on the vehicles, not vinyl graphics.

Although Ford was the first to mark cars, he is not the first one who thought out the idea of vehicle advertising. Milton Hershey, the famous manufacturer of chocolate, was the first to paint his brand on a vehicle. This quickly became popular and was widely adopted by other businesses. Paint graphic kept its exclusive place for over 50 years until a new material emerges: Vinyl.

The Invention of Vinyl: 1872

Vinyl or PVC was first created by the German chemist Eugen Baumann in 1872. Then in the year 1913, German inventor Friedrich Heinrisch August Klatte took out a patent on PVC. However, no really useful purpose for vinyl was found until 1926. Waldo Semon, an American chemist experiment with a new adhesive for rubber, created the modern PVC as we know it.

Development of Vinyl Graphics

At first, self-adhesive vinyl was very expensive, the only people who could afford to use it were large groups like the U.S. Air Force.

By the 1980s, scientists discovered a different process, and it became accessible to smaller businesses.

Then by the early 1990s, colorful die-cut vinyl lettering or logos had become the primary method of marking vehicles. In the late 1990s, the technology of printing on vinyl was invented. Although vinyl graphics offered more durable and flexible designs, only large companies were able to afford vinyl wrapping.

The History of Vehicle Wraps and Graphics

As the 21st century arrived, technological advances plus the launch of design software and computers, the vinyl vehicle wrap was invented.

In the year 1993, the German government required all taxi companies to paint their fleets in a government-mandated color, beige. The vinyl manufacturer Kay Premium Marking Films (KPMF) provided an alternative to painting. That is a vinyl wrap, which allowed a large fleet of taxis into compliance with German law while maintaining the future resale value of the vehicle. Because good quality vinyl wraps can be removed without damaging the paint underneath. Check Vinyl Graphics VS. Paint Jobs for more info. Besides, vinyl wraps are less expensive and fast.

In the second decade of the 21st century, car wrapping has truly made it into the mainstream. Today, we can find vinyl graphics used on cars, trucks, buses, and SUVs with complex designs. The material itself has been upgraded constantly.

Vinyl Wraps Designed for Vehicles

The new vinyl films today give installers more options and allows them to wrap cars more effectively. ACME uses 3M vinyl which has air-release channels for bubble-free results and pressure-activated adhesive for quick repositioning. Besides, the premium grade vinyl can well conform to compound curves and corrugations.

The advancement of vehicle wrap technology enables us to produce some amazing graphics. For example, color-changing vinyl, reflective graphics, and glow-in-the-dark car decals.

With the rapid development of the world’s automobile industry, automobiles are not only used as transportation tools in our lives but also increasingly play the role of toys. Vehicle wraps and graphics have gradually become a way for car owners to interpret their own personalities and taste. ACME-made custom vehicle decals will help to make your cars stand out from the crown.