3M and Avery Dennison

[ndwhite]

I'm new to the vehicle wrap industry and am currently researching the different materials used in a wrap. I came across this article: http://www.austingraphics.com/badwrap.html

The author of the article claims that 3M and Avery Dennison are the top two vinyl manufacturers on the market. Reading this forum I've come to the understanding that it is common knowledge that "no wrap fits all situations".

That being said, in your own opinion; is there anything to be said in agreement or disagreement with the author? Are 3M and Avery Dennison wraps generally better than an Oracal wrap? Is one wrap generally better in one scenario over another? Do you feel the author is just talking up 3M because it's the materials they use? I'm assuming the wraps and graphics were produced following the manufacturer guidelines.

Thank you.

 

[MikePro]

welcome to the forum! so glad you chose us to debunk/validify this random internet article.

a: the wrap was not laminated. no matter which product you use will end up scratching, and fading MUCH faster, over time.

b: 3M>Oracal>Avery. imho.

c: shopping prices rarely ends well when you're looking for a premium wrap. let the company's portfolio and reputation for service be your deciding factor. if you're on a limited budget, let the company know in advance and they'll provide you with half-wrap options.

 

[the graphics co]

I have used both extensively, i now use avery exclusively for wraps. the price point combined with the versatility of the product is outstanding. Unless 3M decides to start competing price-wise i will never go back. just my opinion. There are plenty of people on here that swear by oracal, or 3M, i think it is a matter of personal preference as they are all high quality materials. they all have their nuances, and that is usually what drives peoples decisions. on another note, there is a large contingent of members here that will tell you that avery is the devil. fyi.

 

[d fleming]

Avery could make the best thing since sliced bread and I would never use them again. They are the devil.

 

[the graphics co]

Avery could make the best thing since sliced bread and I would never use them again. They are the devil.

:Big Laugh

 

[ndwhite]

welcome to the forum! so glad you chose us to debunk/validify this random internet article.

a: the wrap was not laminated. no matter which product you use will end up scratching, and fading MUCH faster, over time.

b: 3M>Oracal>Avery. imho.

c: shopping prices rarely ends well when you're looking for a premium wrap. let the company's portfolio and reputation for service be your deciding factor. if you're on a limited budget, let the company know in advance and they'll provide you with half-wrap options.

Thanks for the welcome, glad to be here. Would you say the laminate used plays a bigger role in the overall quality of the wrap than the vinyl used? Also any specific reason for liking 3M over Oracal?

I have used both extensively, i now use avery exclusively for wraps. the price point combined with the versatility of the product is outstanding. Unless 3M decides to start competing price-wise i will never go back. just my opinion. There are plenty of people on here that swear by oracal, or 3M, i think it is a matter of personal preference as they are all high quality materials. they all have their nuances, and that is usually what drives peoples decisions. on another note, there is a large contingent of members here that will tell you that avery is the devil. fyi.

What do you feel is the single biggest pro and con of 3M and Oracal? I'm noticing the feelings toward Avery the more I read the forum.

Thanks again.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

I really like 3M's cv3 adhesive. I haven't tried oracal but have had some samples of avery. The avery was ok, nothing wrong with it, but cv3 is just amazing.

I also don't know if any of the other 2 companies have a lam like 3M's high gloss cast, but boy is that stuff hard to beat.

 

[niksagkram]

:Welcome:Welcome to the forums! Just thought I would throw my feelings in there too. We don't do a lot of wraps, but when we do, we use Arlon 6000XRP with Arlon 3220 overlam. Works well for us, and the pricing is right, if you buy it as a bundle, which we do.

Mark

 

[Patentagosse]

I'm a long time Oracal user and 'never been let down by the material. They're all top quality medias BUT 3M and Oracal combos are over $1K from my different sources while Avery runs mega-deal right now so, as I'm a real whore, I went for MPI1005EZ RS + DOL 1360 3D this month. 'Can't pass a deal like that ($825) so I hope the material will perform as good as they claim. Otherwise, I'll definitely kick 'em out as I ran into major comebacks few years ago due to their crappy A8 / A9 cast serie. Instead of adding 1 more year of exterior durability every year in their marketing, they'd better make sure it withstands the usual 7 years we're all expecting from cast. 'Worked over 15 years with Avery w/o issue up to they went for major change inside the box... Since then, 'still waiting they get back on track for stability. 'Still have few rolls here on the rack that show sign of wrinkage (near 1/8" on edges!!!) P.O.S.

Oracal & 3M all the way for colored vinyls. 3M is outrageously expensive in my area.

Pros & Cons? Let just say that Oracal is too agressive on initial tack. I know they just released an improved version but 'haven't tried it yet (3791GRA I think). 'Don't like the CV3 pattern for air escape (prefered the original cross hatched one, where air could escape in any direction w/o leaving "pizzaz" everywhere). Don't use Primer94 with other vinyls than 3M. Avery's EZ RS is slideable until you decide to "tack" it. May be useful for vertical surfaces like hood and top.

'Just my 0.02¢

 

[the graphics co]

I haven't used any oracal material so i can offer no opinion on that. I was always happy with the performance of the 3m material, but, they raise prices 5-8% every year and that gets tiring after a while. Then they introduce 380 and it is 10-15% higher still...drag. Now Avery has material that performs like the 380 that i can get for less than 180cV 1, 2, or 3. So, it was an easy decision for me.

 

[ndwhite]

I really like 3M's cv3 adhesive. I haven't tried oracal but have had some samples of avery. The avery was ok, nothing wrong with it, but cv3 is just amazing.

I also don't know if any of the other 2 companies have a lam like 3M's high gloss cast, but boy is that stuff hard to beat.

How does 3M's installation compare to that of Avery's?

:Welcome:Welcome to the forums! Just thought I would throw my feelings in there too. We don't do a lot of wraps, but when we do, we use Arlon 6000XRP with Arlon 3220 overlam. Works well for us, and the pricing is right, if you buy it as a bundle, which we do.

Mark

Thank you, I appreciate all the help. I've read great things about Arlon 6000XRP, however I've heard a few things about difficult installation. What are your feelings on this?

I'm a long time Oracal user and 'never been let down by the material. They're all top quality medias BUT 3M and Oracal combos are over $1K from my different sources while Avery runs mega-deal right now so, as I'm a real whore, I went for MPI1005EZ RS + DOL 1360 3D this month. 'Can't pass a deal like that ($825) so I hope the material will perform as good as they claim. Otherwise, I'll definitely kick 'em out as I ran into major comebacks few years ago due to their crappy A8 / A9 cast serie. Instead of adding 1 more year of exterior durability every year in their marketing, they'd better make sure it withstands the usual 7 years we're all expecting from cast. 'Worked over 15 years with Avery w/o issue up to they went for major change inside the box... Since then, 'still waiting they get back on track for stability. 'Still have few rolls here on the rack that show sign of wrinkage (near 1/8" on edges!!!) P.O.S.

Oracal & 3M all the way for colored vinyls. 3M is outrageously expensive in my area.

Pros & Cons? Let just say that Oracal is too agressive on initial tack. I know they just released an improved version but 'haven't tried it yet (3791GRA I think). 'Don't like the CV3 pattern for air escape (prefered the original cross hatched one, where air could escape in any direction w/o leaving "pizzaz" everywhere). Don't use Primer94 with other vinyls than 3M. Avery's EZ RS is slideable until you decide to "tack" it. May be useful for vertical surfaces like hood and top.

'Just my 0.02¢

You are very informative, from a customer stand point; do you feel 3M is superior to Oracal (price not being a factor)? Also do you feel 3M is generally easy to install compared to Oracal or Avery?

I haven't used any oracal material so i can offer no opinion on that. I was always happy with the performance of the 3m material, but, they raise prices 5-8% every year and that gets tiring after a while. Then they introduce 380 and it is 10-15% higher still...drag. Now Avery has material that performs like the 380 that i can get for less than 180cV 1, 2, or 3. So, it was an easy decision for me.

Why do you think 3M is constantly raising their price?

 

[the graphics co]

Why do you think 3M is constantly raising their price?

Brand recognition, average consumers have no knowledge of avery, oracal, mactac, arlon, or any of the others, however, everyone has heard of 3m. Therefore, they can charge more because consumer perception is that 3M is a very trustworthy company.

 

[SightLine]

I think it is also because near every time without fail, 3M just works. How many threads can you find about shops having problems (other than the price) with 3M 180 series vinyl (properly laminated of course) versus the other brands. There is a reason for this....

Like many here I've tried them all over the years and keep coming back to 3M 180. Out of I'd guess it probably over a thousand rolls by now in the past 7 years I can count on one hand how many problem rolls I've had and out of those only 1 was the entire roll defective - that one has a repeating missing spot in the adhesive through the entire roll.

On the install side - that is really what the installer is used to. For me - I feel like I can hardy get Avery to stick - it falls off. I realize it is supposed to be that way though but the last time I tried it I felt like it took me twice as long and was constantly worried that it was not adhering. It does indeed adhere just fine in the end though. Oracal - almost too agressive on the initial tack - snatch a peice of it back up and all the adhesive stays behind ruining the panel - granted again - additional experience with Oracal would alleviate this. All brands will have their pluses and minuses. All 3 of the top brands do print excellent and looks great - I cannot comment on longevity of Oracal and Avery. 3M has not let me down - worst I've seen is yellowing and crazing on roofs and hoods but horizontal exposures are NOT warranted the same as verticals. 3M does have a new laminate out though with much greater acid dew and UV resistance for horizontal exposure and does give extended warranty coverage for horizontal surfaces.