Quality and durability are the two things that vinyl film installers pursue. To achieve it, post-heating is a process that you cannot underestimate. There is a lot of knowledge there, more than just “heating a vinyl wrap film”. Proper Post-heating requires thorough preparation for the material and the correct temperature to kill the memory of the wrap.
Post-heat to take off the tension
Vehicles are made of compound curves and recessed areas, where you need to stretch a vinyl wrap film over 10% in many sections. As the material’s memory effect remains active, the film will tend to bounce back to its original shape if you skip post-heating, and tension continuously builds on these areas, leading to bad performance and low durability for the finish.
Check before post-heating
Do not post-heat immediately after you finish wrapping. It is best to double-check if there is air underneath the vinyl wrap film, especially for materials without the air-egress feature. Double-check before you proceed because the film can split when you post-heat it with air underneath.
Know the temperature
Post-heating aims to deactivate the memory effect of the car wrap. And you need to heat the wrap to a specific temperature to do this. The manufacturer will usually tell you the precise temperature for post-heating on the manual. If there is no such information, check with them directly.
A slightly higher temperature is acceptable, but never lower
If the vehicle wrap does not reach the post-heating temperature it needs, it will shrink back to its original shape. However, if you heat it enough, the film’s memory will be mostly killed. It might still go back a little, but it is good enough to keep in place.
If you aim to make it barely shrink, you can heat it up to a slightly higher temperature. The higher temperature, the better you can maintain the shape of the material. Thus, a somewhat higher temperature is acceptable for post-heating. But never make it lower, or you will heat for nothing.
Once you complete this stage, you are not far from success – Post-heating does not mean everything is done. Next week, get the final finishing tips at teckwrap.com with us. Stay tuned, and keep learning!
