Our Process

How we wrap.

Six steps from the first color consult to the day you drive away. A wrap done right is consultative craft, not commodity work. Here is what the next few weeks look like when you bring a vehicle to our Gilbert shop.

The Six Steps

From first conversation to final cure.

Every wrap goes through the same six stages. The conversation in step one shapes every decision after it.

01

Consult & Concept

In-person sit-down in our color consult room. Over 400 wrapped templates on the wall so you can see finishes on a real curved bodyline, not a 3×6 swatch.

02

Design & Proof

If your wrap involves custom graphics, Jess takes the concept into design. You see proofs and revise before any film is cut. This is where most of the collaboration happens.

03

Material Selection

Cast films only, from the brands we actually trust. Matte, satin, gloss, pearl, iridescent, colorshift, chrome, carbon, reflective, printed. Every option weighed against how you use the vehicle.

04

Vehicle Prep

Decontamination, panel-level cleaning, trim and badge removal where needed. Existing dents and rock chips get flagged so you know what the wrap can and cannot hide.

05

Install

The wrap itself. Door jambs, edge wraps, post-heat cure. Done in our climate-controlled bay so Arizona dust never lands on a tacky panel.

06

Care & Aftercare

Walkthrough at pickup covering the first 48-hour cure window, hand-wash guidance, and what to avoid. The wrap is removable later without harming factory paint.

Step 02 · Design & Proof

Custom designs, drawn with you.

For full color changes the design step is short. For custom graphics, racing liveries, hood prints, or one-off concepts, this is the longest part of the process and the one customers consistently single out in reviews.

Jessica Bonifacio (Vinyl Vixen) leads the design work. Co-owner since 2016, trained under Slim Sheddy, profiled by ClassicCars.com Journal, VoyagePhoenix, and recognized by Arlon Graphics EMEA in their 2022 #WomenWhoWrap campaign. She works back and forth with you on layout, scale, and finish until the proof matches what you actually want on the car. Nothing is cut until you sign off.

Recent customers on Yelp call this part out by name. Gregory B. (March 2025) brought in a Mercedes Sprinter for a full wrap; Kena O. (May 2025) came in for a custom hood design. Both highlighted the collaboration over the result.

See custom design work →
Step 05 · Install

Door jambs, edge sealing, post-heat cure.

An install in Arizona is not the same as an install in a coastal climate. Dust, heat, and dry air all play against the adhesive during cure, which is why the prep and the bay matter as much as the hands on the squeegee.

Every wrap we install gets door-jam coverage where the film wraps into the jamb, not just up to it. Edges get sealed with a post-heat pass so the film stays put when summer hits 115. Trim and emblems come off the car when the geometry calls for it, not whenever it is convenient. Slim Sheddy is a certified mechanic with 10+ years in vinyl and 14+ years on the automotive side, so the trim work gets done the same way a body shop would do it.

The wrap then sits in a controlled bay for the cure. You pick up a finished vehicle, not a half-cured one.

View install services →
Process Questions

What customers ask before they book.

A few of the most common questions about how the process actually runs.

How long does a wrap take?
Timeline depends on scope. A full single-color change runs differently than a custom-printed wrap with multiple panels of graphics. After the consult in step one we give you a written timeline so you can plan around the install dates.
Do I leave the car with you the whole time?
Yes. The car stays in our shop from the start of prep through the end of post-heat cure. Leaving it overnight protects the cure and keeps Arizona dust out of the install. Drop-off and pickup happen at our Gilbert location during business hours (Mon–Fri, 8 AM to 4 PM).
What do you need from me before we start?
A clean vehicle is helpful but not required, we will decontaminate it either way in step four. What matters more is that you come into the consult ready to talk through how you use the car, what finish you want, and what existing damage (dents, rock chips) you have not already addressed. We will flag anything the wrap cannot hide so there are no surprises at pickup.
When will I see proofs for a custom design?
If your job involves custom graphics, you see the first proof during step two, before any film is purchased or cut. Revisions happen by email and in person. Nothing moves to install until you sign off on a final proof.
Will the wrap damage my factory paint?
No. Vinyl is a sacrificial layer on top of paint, and it is completely removable without damaging factory finish when it is installed on a gloss painted surface. We discuss exceptions (matte paint, primered panels, certain textured plastics) during the consult.
Ready to start?

Let's talk about your wrap.

Book a consult at our Gilbert shop. Walk the color wall, talk through the concept, and leave with a written timeline and quote.