Wrapping over/across window trim

[gnubler]

We did a partial wrap on an extended cab pickup and I got stuck trying to wrap over and across the corner of a window with trim. Vinyl was premasked and there was just no way to get it to conform into the corner, so I ended up doing a relief cut and bridging the top edge of the window trim. I trimmed away the waste and left that edge unwrapped, figured trying to lay down a patch would look worse and from the side you can't see the gap anyway. The next day I saw a nice looking fully wrapped rig parked and noticed they did the same thing on the rear cab window, so maybe I wasn't totally clueless?

What's the best way to handle tricky corners/edges like this?

 

[Jason Thomas]

I always try to avoid applying vinyl to black trim pieces, especially near windows. Trimming it is difficult and getting it to stay stuck is a crapshoot. I think it is acceptable for any window trim to be "missing" the graphic. Even so, applying that section with pre-mask isn't the easiest ,so what I do is if I know I need to cut in a piece half on a window and half off a window, I will not pre-mask that portion during the graphics prep. Then I slice the graphic right where the trim piece would fall and apply each half and carefully trim. It will still work with pre-mask on it too, just not as easy.

 

[signheremd]

We cut out the areas that fall on trim. Usually it does not adhere well and can easily tunnel and trap water. I think it gives a clean appearance with it trimmed. When trimming on the vehicle, it takes a little sensitivity to cut through the vinyl without cutting the vehicle's paint. Practice by putting some vinyl on a piece of aluminum scrap and see it you can cut the vinyl without leaving a mark.

 

[gnubler]

Good tips, thanks. Had no idea what I was getting into before the install but it worked out okay. Watched a few wrap videos on Youtube where some installers are purposely wrapping window trim in a different color, but didn't see anything about running a graphic across a window and its trim.

 

[Marvin Miller]

Pull it off, wrap to the edge of metal and slid3 it back on. Most of these are just a compression piece that slips on and off. if you need to apply graphics to the trim, brush it with 3M primer and apply.

 

[FCD]

You'll want to avoid wrapping the window trim most of the time. The vinyl will usually fail on anything that is rubber because it expands and contracts under heating and cooling. It also holds oils and other grime that will leach into it. Chrome trim is fine to wrap however.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

We have a hard time getting masking tape to stick to trim on new trucks when we paint them. We mask with gorilla tape and then go over that with masking tape. I don't see vinyl sticking to it for very long

 

[gnubler]

Good to know. I did another relief cut on the part of the trim that does have vinyl on it, so if it fails it'll just be that one little piece and not the entire print coming undone.