Car Wrapping Trends in Pakistan

Who said you need to have a sporty car to turn heads? You can have a standard car and still look advanced. Car wrapping is a trend that has existed since the 1990s or the beginning of the 2000s. Now it has gained more popularity among car enthusiasts. Not to forget the trends that are taking place in vehicle modification.

In this blog, we will walk through car wrapping trends in Pakistan that are taking place this year, their prices, advantages and disadvantages, and how you can maintain them.

Car Wrapping Trends in Pakistan

For car enthusiasts, car wrapping is like fashion. Explore the trends in Pakistan.

1. Matte Black

It is a design that never goes out of date. This design sticks to the car like a part of it. For most car enthusiasts, the first thing that comes to mind is matte black when talking about modifying aesthetics.

It gives the car a stealthy and sleek look. It is the perfect choice for Pakistan’s dusty roads because dust is not visible on it, as compared to other types.

2. Two-Tone

Two-tone is famous among young car enthusiasts who like to give their cars a sporty look. A two-tone vinyl car wrap may look like a combination of black and green, or blue and white, giving your car a cool look. It may sound like you are overdoing it, but trust us, don’t feel guilty.

3. Satin Metallic

How about you give your car a mix of glossy and matte look? No, you don’t have to put up two separate car wraps. You can have both looks together in satin metallic. This style in car wraps is Pakistanis’ favorite because it gives an elegant and strong look to the car.

4. Chrome

For those who love to turn heads, a chrome car wrap is their go-to vehicle aesthetic modification. It is mirror-like, which makes it heat-resistant. However, a noteworthy point here is that it does not hide scratches, and it is high-maintenance.

5. Custom Car Wrapping

Custom car wrapping is gaining popularity in Pakistan. The designs that are most adopted are superhero themes, tribal designs, logos of companies and businesses, and patterns of choice. Logos are mostly used by businesses for promotional purposes or to distinguish their vehicles from others, such as vehicles of ride-hailing services.

Types of Car Wraps

1. By Purpose

Car wraps have different purposes. The following are some of the reasons they are used for. 

• Advertising
  This type of vehicle wrapping is for marketing and branding purposes, such as logos, patterns, or graphics that represent a brand or a business. They can be customized to display contact information, brand slogans, or messages if they are used for causes.

• Color Change
  As the name suggests, they are used to customize the car, that is, change its color or pattern. These are opaque wrappings and are wrapped over the vehicle without touching or changing the original paint underneath it.

• Protective Wrapping
  Also known as clear wrapping, these are Paint-Protected Film (PPF). It is a transparent layer that is used to protect a car from factors that could damage it, such as scratches, environmental factors, or from getting peeled off. 

2. By Finish

• Matte
  It is a dull-looking and non-lustrous car wrap. It gives a sleek and stealthy look to cars.

• Glossy
  It resembles car paint, just that it is shinier and reflective than the paint. It is more famous among car enthusiasts for its glossy and glowy aesthetics.

• Satin
  Satin is between gloss and matte, shiny and non-reflective, both. More like glossy matte. It balances the glossy shine.

• Chrome
  It is a shinier version of a glossy car wrap, almost mirror-like. They are mostly chosen by those who own luxury cars.

• Carbon Fibre
  This wrap is a duplicate of real carbon fibre. It is textured and gives a sporty look of a high-performance and tech car.

Car enthusiasts mostly cover their car hoods, mirrors, or roofs with it.

3. By Material

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
  It is a flexible car wrap and easily sticks to the car surface. It is useful to cover small areas of the car, such as the mirrors and bumpers. It is the oldest material for a vehicle wrap. It can be finished in various styles, including gloss, matte, and chrome.

• Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)
  TPU is a durable and flexible wrap available in modern car wrap options. It is a combination of plastic and rubber. Its flexible nature makes it easier to wrap it around tight curves and small areas where other materials are harder to stick, such as mirrors and bumpers.
  It offers greater resistance to scratches and other environmental factors that can harm it, in contrast to vinyl wrap. TPU possesses self-healing property, which means that minor scratches and abrasions that occur on its surface heal quickly. This property makes it more durable than other options in car wrapping. It is available in all colors and you can make any pattern with it.

• Paint Protected Film (PPF)
  It is a type of transparent urethane layer which is used as a car wrapping. Paint Protection Film (PPF) is made of durable polyurethane that preserves the car’s paint and keeps it looking brand new. Unlike vinyl wraps, it can self-heal from scratches when exposed to sunlight or heat and lasts up to 10 years without chipping or fading. Its thickness, ranging from 5 to 10 mil, provides greater resistance compared to vinyl, while its water-resistant properties make cleaning much easier.

4. By Coverage

• Full Wrap
  It wraps the vehicle completely.

• Partial Wrap
  It is used to cover only specific areas of the car, such as the roof, mirrors, or the hood. They are most useful for advertising, in which a logo, a theme, or a pattern representing a brand is applied. It can be used for aesthetics, too.

How Much Does It Cost To Wrap A Car?

The prices of Car Wrapping in Pakistan start from PKR 90K to 3 Lacs, depending upon the quality/material of the wrap. However, several factors influence the cost of car wrapping in Pakistan. For example:

1. Vehicle Dimension

The larger the size of the vehicle, the more the wrapping costs.

2. Labor Charges

Expert workers charge more for the wrapping.

3. Material Quality

High-quality material affects car wrap cost.

4. Design Complexity

Plain colors are cheaper than complex designs or textured wraps.

5. Coverage

Car wrapping price in Pakistan depends on the part of the car you want to wrap. The larger the area, the greater the price.

How to Maintain a Car Wrap?

Car wraps are not all roses; there are thorns to them, too. They demand care just as your car does. Let’s figure out how you can maintain your car’s wrap:

1. Protection from Fuel Spill

Avoid spilling fuel on your car wrap. In case it does, clean it immediately.

2. Frequency of Washing

Wash your car at least once a week with detergent and clean water. If your car is exposed to dust and other pollutants more often, you need to wash it more than once a week. After washing it, dry it with a microfiber cloth. Avoid using harsh detergents to protect it from peeling or scratching.

3. Hand-Wash

Avoid taking your car to automatic car washes, because brush wash can damage your car wrap. Hand-washing does the best and thorough cleaning. Automatic wash is an option if they use water sprays.

4. Pressure Washer

You can also pressure wash your car, but with caution.

• Keep the pressure of the washer less than 2,000 psi.
• Keep the nozzle at a wide-angle spray.
• Keep the nozzle at a distance from the car. Avoid keeping it too close to the car.
• Maintain the temperature below 60 degrees Celsius.

5. Waxing

Waxing the car with wrapping is not needed. But if you want to, then use pure wax or one that is specifically made for cars only.

Pros and Cons of Car Wrapping

Pros

• Easy customization:
  Instead of having your car painted all over, you can customize your car with a wrap.

• Flexibility:
  For individuals who want to change their car’s aesthetics, or brands that want to change their brand theme or logo, they remove or change the wrapping without damaging the original paint underneath.

• Cost-Effective:
  Repainting a vehicle is more expensive, while wrapping a car is cheaper.

• Unlimited Options in Designs:
  You can get unlimited options in designing your car with wraps, rather than having limited options in getting your car repainted, which is more expensive.

• Protecting the Resale Value:
  Car wraps protect the car from pollutants, scratches, and the UV rays from sunlight. This way, you can maintain the resale value of your vehicle.

Cons

• Requires Expertise
  If you apply a car wrap by yourself, you might get it scratched or leave bubbles, or vacuum, which can capture moisture and cause rusting. That’s why it is better to leave it to experts. They have the necessary tools to do the job, and they know the precision it takes to apply wraps to vehicles with little to no error.

• Cheap Wraps
  Cheap wraps do not last for more than 1 or 2 years. The color can fade as well.

• Subject To Wear And Tear
  Bird droppings, stone chips, and severe weather conditions can decrease the durability of car wrappings.

Wrapping It Up

Car wrapping trends in Pakistan are ever-changing and full of fun. The designs and textures that the vehicle industry has to show are exceptionally aesthetic and worth taking a look at, absolute head-turner. The combination you can make with different textures and materials is fun. However, car wraps need care just as the car itself does.

We hope that by learning about them, you are able to choose the best car wraps for your car and be able to enjoy the ride and drive.