Some installers might find calendar films challenging to wrap because it is usually thicker. But with proper skills and techniques, you can take advantage of the thickness and let the material wrap for you, saving you much energy. Let’s learn the trick using the hood of a BMW X1 as an example:

Clean and “polish”

You should always clean the surface thoroughly before installing a vinyl wrap film. Make sure you degrease every spot and all edges. When the surface dries out, spray a polish like Tripple S on the surface and wipe around with a microfiber towel.

You should create a thick and even coat on the section. Remember to degrease all edges and recessed areas once more before moving on to the next stage.

The reason why you should “polish” the surface is because a calendar vinyl film can be a bit aggressive. The Tripple S underneath can help you pick the material up easily and glide on it more smoothly when squeegeeing.

Get ready for installation

Before putting the vinyl wrap film on the surface, don’t forget to apply masking tapes on the top corners near the windshield. Also, pop up the hood and use a tube to keep it open.

You can then put the vehicle wrap on the area, mark and cut off the extra material. You can save them for small sections like mirrors or door handles later. Next, remove the entire backing paper. There is nothing you should worry about with the help of the Tripple S underneath.

Heat and shake

Now, it is time for application. You can find the center point of the section and squeegee in the middle to create a hinge first. And deal with the left and right parts one by one. If you are using a sensitive material like matte car wrap or chrome, you can spray a bit of Tripple S to your squeegee buffer to avoid scratches.

Starting from the left side (or can be the right side first), you should lightly hold the vinyl wrap up from the side and apply overlapping heat to relax the material. Because of the nature of calendar film, the material will shrink. You should slightly shake it, relax it from one bodyline to the next, and set it down. Then, run your finger along the bodyline to secure the car wrap in place.

Form the recessed area first

Then, apply heat again to the recessed area to relax the vinyl wrap film, and use your palm to form it into the recessed. Deal with the flat part last. With the Tripple S underneath, you will see how flowy it is when squeegeeing the flat surface. All bubbles can be glided out easily.

Shrink the front edge

Once the main area is wrapped, move onto the front edge of the hood. Slowly get the vehicle wrap off the surface from the edge, and pick it up. Set down the film nearby again with your squeegee. Then, apply overlapping heat along the front edge slowly, slightly shake the vinyl film, let it relax and shrink. By shrinking, it will wrap the edge itself.

Finish the edge

After the vinyl film has shrunk to the edge, run your finger to get the material underneath the edge. You might find there is still a bit of tension in the film. And you can run your finger along the edge again, with the other hand adding heat to relax the vinyl once more.

Last but not least…

When everything is done, double-check if there is any bubble on the film. And you can cut off the excess film. By now, the material should be super relaxed. Thus, you can feel free to make a flush cut. As soon as you finish cutting, don’t forget to run your finger and use heat to seal all edges.

The mystery of a calendar film

By heating, shrinking, and shaking a calendar vinyl film during wrapping, you can take advantage of its memory effect and let it wrap naturally with no tension. This is something other types of materials like cast do not have. Thus, if you can make the most of it, your workflow can be much smoother, and you can achieve a high-quality, durable finish with no stress.