Nowadays there are many kinds of vinyl styles and colors for clients to choose from. A common choice for color changes is matte vinyl. When it comes to using matte vinyl for a vehicle wrap install, there are some important things clients should be aware of such as upkeep, scratching, and oil stains.
The first important thing to note about matte vinyl, particularly darker colors, is that oil from touching the vehicle is extremely visible and unavoidable. With it being matte, the way light reflects off of the material highlights shine from liquid, including body oils and grease. This means that opening doors and touching any part of the wrap will leave fingerprints, hand prints, and streaks. Although it is easy enough to clean the marks off, it is needed far more often which leads into our next important thing to know about matte wraps: extra upkeep.
Just like how fingerprints and hand marks will leave visible marks on the wrap, any other kinds of dirt and grime will also be more visible on matte than other vinyl materials. Dust from driving in dry gravel or dry dirt, dirty water stains, and other naturally occurring stains will stand out more due to how light interacts with the material, so keeping your wrap looking good takes extra care. Washing a wrap every 1-2 weeks is encouraged for not only aesthetics but for the longevity of the vehicle wrap. With matte vehicle wraps, we recommend washing 1-2 times a week just to maintain the aesthetics of the wrap. This can be a proper hand wash with soap and water or spot washing with recommended spray cleaners and microfiber clothes. You can read up on our recommended cleaning products here for more information.
The last important thing to know when choosing matte vinyl for your vehicle wrap is that scratches, scrapes, and marks not only stand out more, but are harder to get out of your wrap. Unlike gloss vinyl, the way light interacts with the wrap will not mask the scrapes and scratches. The shine on other vinyl materials helps cover marks that can not be cleaned off or set back with heat. Matte wrap scratches also are less likely to reset with the heat of sunlight. The heat of the sun from everyday use of the vehicle along with the masking thatother vinyl materials provide can make scratches nearly invisible to the eye without detailed inspection of the wrap. Matte vinyl on the other hand may not do as well of a job of hiding these marks. With proper care, matte wraps can go their full life without getting scratched up. But it is important to know going into the wrap process that extra care with cleaning and caution in day to day driving must be taken to ensure your matte wrap stays pristine as long as you have it!
