There are many precut vinyl stripes available out there in the market, which are very convenient for partial vinyl wrapping projects. But when you have to apply it to a curvy section, it becomes frustrating, as it is almost impossible to make it straight when the stripe gets to the curve.
You might be able to solve the problem out with some tricks. However, it does not help with the vinyl wrap film’s long-term durability. Not to mention you will have to spend a very long time dealing with the film around the curvy area. In comparison, Knifeless Tape can be a much better choice when you have to put a stripe on a curvy section.
Here is why:
Spending extra time
Some wrappers tend to customize a stripe rather than buy what is out there in the market. So they need a plotter to make adjustment and use it to cut a brand-new piece of vinyl wrap film into what they need, then spend an extra time premasking it. In contrast, you can use a scrap piece to create a stripe if you use Knifeless Tape, saving you from extra cost, and you can work in any place without a plotter.
Tension that you could have avoided
Take the trunk as an example. If you need to apply a stripe piece from the top of the trunk to its back, you will have to deal with the massive tension when you get to the curve in between the two sections, which you could have avoided if you use Knifeless Tape.
You can easily apply the stripe to the top area. But when it comes to the curve, you will see the vinyl wrap film start to wrinkle. If you try to squeegee down and make it flat right on the curve, the vinyl wrap film on the back area will start bunching up. You will then naturally carry on squeegeeing the material to shift the tension out.
The stripe becomes crooked
When you work the tension out, the vinyl wrap film starts to angle in, and a massive amount of material is fed to one side of the stripe as you squeegee, which makes it no longer straight as you expect. If you focus on keeping the stripe strictly straight along the line you marked on the section beforehand, the stress will build up on the other side of the piece. You could use heat to flatten it, but this will affect the long-term durability of the film.
There are just endless problems you need to deal with. Those precut decal pieces are great for a flat surface. But when you need to put them across two sections with a curve(s) like from a hood to the front bumper, or a trunk to the backside, they become a nightmare. So next time, if this is your case, get a Knifeless Tape in hand. It can surely save the world.
